I will rip your wings off
by MistyLU
Summary: Yi Jeong has no more hope. He lost Eun Jae, his family is a mess and his hand is broken. One evening Ga Eul shows up and asks him out for a date. What will he do? Will he take her life saving hand or will he decide to bring her rotting in hell with him?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter 01**

So Yi Jeong was tired. And frustrated and sad. But most of all, he was furious.  
Everything had gone from bad to worse from the moment Jun Pyo's mother announced his soon-to-be wife.  
Yi Jeong knew he shouldn't have been so surprised, but the sad truth was it had been a hard blow, perhaps even more that it was for Jun Pyo, the real victim of the whole scheme.  
The moment Geum Jan Di entered their lives, he felt something was changing, for good: Ji Hoo awoke from his slumber, Jun Pyo discovered there was something in this world he couldn't obtain with his money and as for him... well, he met Ga Eul yang. That silly, irritating, stupid, little country bumpkin.  
He still couldn't sort out if he liked her or hated her. She was too innocent for his taste, too much of a good girl, the type he feared the most.  
When she played "white angel" in front of him, talking about love and soulmates and how she was sure he believed in them too, he felt even more the rift between them: she the angel, him the devil.

For a short moment, after he saved her when they were skiing, he truly believed he could change. Feeling her in his arms, seeing her smile, made him feel the warmth she was always talking about. Maybe, if he pursued her at that time, things would have been different. But then again, he was now glad he never did, that he backed off and rarely saw her in the six months that followed, because that uncertain feeling of hope he was slowly trying to accept in his heart, shattered when he saw Jun Pyo reject Jan Di in Macau, like the weed he always jokingly said she was.  
He was sure they loved each other. Heck, he had seen it. Jun Pyo was head over heels for that girl. And now he had a fiancee, someone he never met before, someone he would probably be forced to marry.  
And the warmth disappeared.  
That was his life too, that was the destiny that awaited him. Why try to change it? It would only make him suffer more when the time came, like Jun Pyo was suffering now.  
Thanks heavens, he never pursued Ga Eul yang, only to have to reject her when his family would choose his bride. She didn't deserve it.  
And still, the thought of her had the power to make him furious. She was free to love, to laugh, to cry, to live, without anybody controlling her. And apparently she was determined to make his life a living hell by always be around him, smiling, talking, showing him what he never could be.  
Their second fake date was the perfect example for it: would she ever know that with each smile she was slowly killing him? He really enjoyed their time together, he felt so proud knowing she was happy because of what he was doing for her, and when the evening came and he drove her home, he regretted his short holiday from his life had already ended.

Then his father appeared in his workshop and Yi Jeong discovered he believed in soulmates too. His life was miserable because he lost his. Yi Jeong briefly wondered if he was forced to leave her to marry his mother, and it made sense to him because his father never cared for his mother, trying to hurt her as much as possible. Maybe it was his punishment for the loss of the love of his life. That fateful meeting, combined with Jun Pyo's engagement was the last drop.  
Lost between the thoughts of his meaningless life and the future laid for him, he remembered Eun Jae and his brother. Not that he ever forgot them, but he tried his best not to think about them, because they made the hole in his heart even deeper. His brother who deserted him, leaving him alone in their crazy family, and Eun Jae, probably the love of his life, the one woman who always understood him. His air. Lost forever. And like his father had said, every woman was a meaningless repetition now, a vortex of sex and pleasure that never had the little bit of warmth.

That was the night he tried to drank himself into oblivion. He probably should have drunk more, maybe he would have collapsed in the club instead of kissing a random girl, and now his hand would have been ok.  
Were you happy now, Mr Life? Wasn't it enough that he had to loose Eun Jae, that his brother had abandoned him and that his future was black as his own heart? No, apparently Mr Life wasn't satisfied yet, because he had to take his art too. Pottery was what kept his sanity in all those years... something he could convey his emotions to. Everytime he moulded the clay with his hands, every time he created something, he felt free. And now it was over, he was no longer a potter. He would never be free again. He was done. End of the story.

What was left for him now? He honestly didn't know. Just wait maybe. Wait to take over the museum and to marry whoever would be chosen for him: let's face it, now that Jun Pyo was getting married, it was the starting point for all of them. Yi Jeong was sure his father would never bother to look around for a daughter-in-law, neither would his mother, but his grandfather was another business. How much time would it take? Some months? Maybe a year? Not much anyway, not when his grandfather wanted something done.  
After that, his family would have requested an heir, maybe two, before allowing him to go back to his life. And the path was already clear to him: like father like son, right? Wow, great future Yi Jeong.

Well, hell could wait a while for him. All he wanted right now, was drink those bottles of wine he knew were in his workshop. He thought for a moment about a dream he had last night where a drunken himself just set his workshop on fire, laughing hysterically and staying inside chocking to death while the fire destroyed anything he ever cared about: his art, his memories with Eun Jae, his sorrow and grief. It didn't seem too bad a death after all, not that it mattered now... he was dead inside anyway.  
Drink. Bottles. Wine. Now.

Yi Jeong was near the door of his workshop when he saw Ga Eul standing right in front of it. Just one look was enough to decide he didn't like the pink coat she was wearing. Ga Eul was beautiful when she was dressed in red, not pink. And what about the design? Oh come on, that coat made her look fat, while he knew from New Caledonia and their fake dates that she was perfect.  
Most of all, what was she doing there? He wasn't in the mood to entertain anyone. Certainly not her, not now.

"What do you want?" he asked without even saying hi. "I don't like visitors coming over without a purpose."

_Go away. Just go away. I can't stand to see you now, white angel. Let me go to hell and forget about me, like you should have done a long time ago._

"I have a purpose!" she exclaimed right before he entered the door leaving her there. "Will you... go out on a date with me?"

Yi Jeong turned around, wide eyed and his thoughts went of fire. He didn't know whether he wanted to kiss her senseless and beg her to save him or kill her right there and then because she dared to intrude in his life once more and, on top of things, when his life was going down the drain.  
All he knew was that Ga Eul couldn't have chosen a worse night to decide to be brave and go to him.

_Bad, bad timing, my dear country bumpkin._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 02**

"You want a date." Yi Jeong said after sitting down on the table. He didn't even bother to look at her when he opened his workshop's door and step inside.  
"We had two dates so far... isn't it enough?"  
"Those were fake dates." Ga Eul was very hesitant, she sensed his dark mood. Anyway she was there now and there was no turning back at that point. Her teacher was right, she had to be brave if she didn't want to regret it later. She thought about it for a long time after their second fake date, and found herself wanting for more. Faking was useless now, she knew she liked him. Why deny it? The worst that could happen was be rejected, and she was prepared for that.

"And you didn't like them, even if they were fake? We went out and had fun. What more do you want?"  
Yi Jeong was looking at her now. His glare was cold and dangerous, and Ga Eul had to tell herself that he would never hurt her, or she would have stepped back istinctively.  
_  
__Be brave Ga Eul!__  
_  
"I want the real thing. No more pretence. No more going out for revenge or for our friends... just you and me, sunbae."  
"Ga Eul yang, what makes you think I want to date you?" that glare was even colder now. If Yi Jeong was angry before, now he was clearly furious. "An act is an act, didn't I tell you before?"  
Ga Eul swallowed and took a deep breath, before bursting out her - hopefully - best shot. "Because I know you like me, as much as I like you."  
Before Yi Jeong could have any reaction save a blank stare in her direction, she pressed. "You are always gentle with me. You help me. You saved me on the mountain, and stayed with me the whole night when Jan Di was missing in the snow. On our second date, I saw how you were staring at me, when you thought I was distracted. You're just afraid, sunbae. Please, let me get rid of your fear."  
There was silence, for long moments, while Yi Jeong was trying to form a coherent thought. Did he like her? Did he? Sure, he was gentle and all, but it was just because Ga Eul was a nice girl and he didn't have any reason to not treat her well. Most of all, he didn't want to like her. It was like suicide, a called disaster. He would only suffer.  
"I'm sorry, but I think you misunderstood me." he firmly said. "You're just Jan Di's friend, and Jan Di was Jun Pyo's girlfriend. That's all. No feelings there, just kindness."  
Ga Eul had the word "liar" on the tip of her tongue, but she refrained to speak it aloud, it would only make matters worse. She knew he was afraid, she knew it wasn't just kindness. Now the problem was making him see that, and making him angry even more than he already was, wasn't a good idea.  
"You just have a crush, Ga Eul yang. Nothing serious. I played Knight in Shining Armor to you, and like the damsel you are, you want to reward me with your love. That's all."

Now, that made her angry. Did he really think she was such a child? Ok, she wasn't rational about liking him: there were a million reasons why she shouldn't and not one in his favour, but hey, love is never rational.  
"That is unfair, sunbae. I may believe in soulmates, but I'm not a silly child who runs after fairytales. Why don't you just give us a chance? It's not like you can't get away if you really want to."  
He closed the art magazine in front of him and sighed, struggling to keep control and not just throw her and her stubborness out of his door. Why was she keeping on asking? Couldn't she see that was not the right evening? Didn't she know what happened to him, to his hand, to his life? How could she dare to force her presence on him and blabber nonsense about love and chances?  
"You don't want to date me. Trust me. I'm not the nice guy you want to think I am."  
"Let me judge that by myself. What do you have to loose?"

_My sanity maybe? My heart, my mind, my whole life if you manage to make me fall for you?_

"You're not thinking straight. You know who I am, you know what I do."  
Yi Jeong knew he had to be cruel if he wanted her to understand. And no, he wasn't sorry at all. She called for it. If she really wanted to keep thinking of him as her White Knight, she had to pay the price for her illusion. His jaw tightened as he kept speaking.  
"I flirt with girls, they are fascinated by my smile and my money. I make them laugh and have a good time and then I bring them to a room and _they_ give _me_ a good time. If the sex was good, I may call them some other time to repeat the experience, if not they never see me again. We use each other, and that's the end of it. Now, I'm Knightly enough for your taste, Ga Eul yang?"  
She stayed silent for a while, clearly shaken by his blunt words. She could feel she was starting to have misty eyes and she didn't want him to notice. He already believed she was a weak little child, no reason to confirm that opinion.

_Come on, Ga Eul, you didn't endure all this just to run away crying now. Fight till the end!_

"We could be different. They are random girls, someone you don't know. We have been friends until now, we have done things together."  
"Ah, that's it then..." Yi Jeong smiled cruelly. "You think you're different. You think you're better than them."  
"That's low even for you, sunbae." she complained with narrow eyes.  
"Good then. You're starting to understand I can be low. Now, stick to that new dawn realization, and go away, if you know what's best for you."  
He looked at her and saw her smiling. An amused smile. Unbelievable.  
"Tsk, tsk... Yi Jeong sunbae, you're starting to run out of tricks up your sleeves. That's really the best you can do, to get rid of a girl?"

He slowly rose from his chair, glaring at her.  
"Ga Eul yang, you're pressing your luck. This isn't the right evening to push my patience."  
"Then accept my dare. Date me. If it doesn't work, we'll stop seeing each other and you'll never hear from me again."  
"You will cry in the end."  
"That's my risk. It's not you would feel bad about it, right?"  
"You're right. I wouldn't feel bad at all." he kept glaring at her with cold eyes, then he took a step in her direction while she istinctively backed off to stay away for him. This didn't surprise him, despite her courage he knew Ga Eul was a shy girl who wasn't at ease with too close physical proximity.  
He wickedly smiled, while pushing her to the wall and putting his arms on either side of her.  
"Let's play then. You want to date me, to make me fall for you. Try it."  
"You have to be willing to play along, though." Ga Eul said, trying to keep her voice steady. She couldn't take her eyes off his, like they were chained to each other.  
"Oh I will. But I must warn you, I will play a game of my own too."  
"Such as?"  
"You want to change me, to show me you're different from those other girls. I will try to prove the opposite. To show you're exactly the same."  
Silence. She swallowed, a glint of pride in her eyes.  
"That's not fair. You are already deciding you can't change. How can I compete if you're not willing to give me a chance?"  
"These are the rules of the game. You want to date me? Pick them. Not brave enough? You know where the exit is."

That was it. She pushed his arms away and proudly stared at him, her lips pressed in a thin line.  
"Fine. Let's play sunbae. I'll show you you're wrong."  
Another cruel smile. "You'll beg me on your knees not to leave you, when this is over."

"We'll see who begs first. See you tomorrow, Yi Jeong sunbae."  
"See you tomorrow, Ga Eul yang."

She exited his workshop, her head high, her spine straight. She wasn't going to bow down to him.  
He folded his arms, not angry anymore, but excited for the turn of events of that evening.

_You don't know what you're getting yourself into, my little white angel. I'll see you fall down in hell with me, before we end this. I will rip your wings off, feather by feather. Be ready to cry, for I will not spare you._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date

**Chapter 03**

"Are you insane?" Jan Di cried at her best friend, stopping cleaning the table in the porridge shop. "Were you drunk yesterday? On drugs?"  
"Please, stop yelling..." Ga Eul pleaded, raising a hand to her temple. "Tonight I barely slept, and now I have a terrible headache."  
"I can bet I know why you didn't sleep." Jan Di snorted, then leaned the cloth on the table and looked at her, trying to calm down.  
"Ga Eul... seriously. Didn't you learn anything from my messing with F4? Can you look at me now, and tell me it's worth it? I don't even have my house anymore!"  
"I know, I know... I don't know what I was thinking." Ga Eul sighed sitting down. "He insulted me, he treated me like a stupid child. And I just couldn't let him get away with it."  
"Then I'll make sure he apologizes to you, so you can call this 'bet' off. I don't want to see you cry."  
"No." Ga Eul looked firmly at Jan Di, a glint of steel in her eyes. "You will stay out of it. No threats, no spinning kicks, nothing."

Jan Di stared at her, wide eyed. She knew that look in Ga Eul eyes, and usually it meant war for the people involved. It had been that way since kindergarden. Ga Eul was a nice, shy girl, who didn't like to be in the frontline, except when her friends were involved: the swimming competition was an example, when she asked Yi Jeong to loose on purpose. Jan Di was still slightly angry for it, but she knew it was in Ga Eul's character to do something like that.  
But that look in her eyes, she didn't see it more than three, maybe four times in her entire life, always when her friend was determined in doing something. She would never stop.  
Ga Eul softened her features, smiling at her friend. She understood her worries, but this was something she had to do, for herself. She had to try her best, it was the only way she wouldn't have any regret later.  
"Yi Jeong sunbae isn't a bad guy, you know that. Ok, he's a playboy, but I think it's just a mask. I don't know why, but he's scared to love and be loved. I want to show him there's nothing to fear. And now, with his broken hand... he needs hope, Jan Di."  
"And since when did you turn into a missionary nun? He wants to destroy you, Ga Eul. He will take what you are offering him and then he will throw you away. Never forget he's a F4. They are not used to loose or admit they are wrong. Yi Jeong sunbae won't put a red card in your locker, but that doesn't mean he's not dangerous."  
"Then I'll just have to be careful on what I do, don't you think?" she winked at Jan Di. "I'm sure he has a sweet side too. You saw us on our second date... he was so attentive, so nice to me, he even set up fireworks!"  
Jan Di looked at her narrowing her eyes and sat down next to her. "How do you know I saw it? And... second date? Second? When was the first one? You never told me anything about it!"  
Ga Eul turned to stone, mentally slapping herself. Great job. Now she would have to explain everything... and then she would have to call Woo Bin sunbae, the mastermind behind the 'emergency plan', to tell him to start running for his life.

Yi Jeong was waiting for some kind of reaction from his three best friends and was starting to think that maybe it would have been better if he just kept his mouth shut. Well, not telling them he was going to date Ga Eul yang was not an option, since they would have found out soon enough. Maybe he shouldn't have told them about their little bet. But then again, what was he supposed to answer when Ji Hoo asked him if he was serious about her? Of course he wasn't, he could never be. He just needed to show her they were an impossible couple, so she would finally leave him alone.  
"So you're planning on breaking her." Woo Bin statement broke the silence, and they waited for Yi Jeong answer.  
"I just want her to understand some basic principles about life. The first one is she can't change people."  
"That meaning _you_ don't want to change, I suppose." Ji Hoo was looking at him, arms folded. His expression showed all his disapproval.  
Jun Pyo shook his head, mentally preparing his friend's funeral. "Jan Di will kill you as soon as you make Ga Eul cry. Maybe even before that, she will kick your ass as soon as you touch her friend."  
"That would just prove my point to her. If she needs Geum Jan Di to protect her, she will understand I'm out of her league."  
Woo Bin raised his eyebrow. "So you just want to be left alone? You don't actually want to make her suffer?"

Yi Jeong stood up, leaning against the pool table. Yes she deserved to suffer, to cry. She had to pay for all her smiles, her cheerfulness, her courage. He never wanted someone to bow down to him like he did with her.  
"She challenged me. I will do what it takes to win, to make her regret it."  
Jun Pyo laughed bitterly at that, taking a sip of wine. "That reminds me of a certain dry cleaner and how I vowed to make her surrender to me. Look where I am now and think again."  
"He's right, you know." Ji Hoo said. "You're playing with fire. Are you sure you won't end up burnt?"  
Yi Jeong couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did his friends loose their minds? They should go and warn Ga Eul yang, not him. She was the one who was going to suffer, the one who would be crying in the end. Did they really think his little game could backfire him? He was just going to do what he always did: flirt, conquer, bed her and then leave her. She would learn she couldn't win against him.  
"Oh come on, guys! We're talking about Chu Ga Eul, the country bumpkin, the commoner! How can she compete against me? I'm So Yi Jeong, F4's Casanova!"  
Ok, that sounded weak, even on his own ears. But he didn't need to persuade them, after all. Actions would prove his point.  
"Just don't push it too far, bro." Woo Bin stared at him with a serious face. "Ga Eul yang is a sweet, kind girl. She doesn't deserve any suffering."  
"Hey, are you my friend or her's?"  
"Actually, I'm not worried about her, despite the little speech about love and pain you gave me." Jun Pyo stood up, putting his coat on. "Commoners always survive, they are made of steel and fire. It's their nature. Are you sure you're tougher than her? Because I remember the fireworks at the ice rink, and how you never lifted your eyes from her face. You were smiling and I know from experience what that smile meant."  
Yi Jeong was about to reply, when Jun Pyo raised his hand, silencing him. "Just think about it ok? I have to go now. See you all later."  
"That was a pretence." Yi Jeong muttered when Jun Pyo went away. "It wasn't real."  
"I suggest you to carefully think if this is worth it." Ji Hoo calmly poured himself a glass of wine. "F4 already destroyed one innocent girl's life. Because of her friendship with us, Jan Di lost everything. Do you really want this to happen to Ga Eul as well? Who knows when your personal Ha Jae Kyung will show up to claim you?"  
"This is ridicolous!" Yi Jeong snapped, his eyes now gleaming in anger. "Geum Jan Di and Jun Pyo were in love. They still are! This is the reason of this mess. My family can decide to marry me off tomorrow and it won't affect me at all, because I'm not in love with Chu Ga Eul and never will be!"  
"Whatever bro." Woo Bin said after a long silence, exchanging a meaningful glance with Ji Hoo. Yi Jeong noticed that and grabbed his coat.  
"I can't believe it." he said before storming out of the lounge.

Ji Hoo and Woo Bin sighed and leaned against the couch.  
"I suppose it's my turn now." Woo Bin complained. "Or do you want the honour to play Knight to Ga Eul yang too?"  
"Ah no, thank you. I'm already busy enough with Jan Di." Ji Hoo smiled bitterly. "Ga Eul yang is all yours."  
"Why do we have such stubborn friends? First Jun Pyo, then Yi Jeong. If I ever start acting so stupid too, please punch some sense in me."  
"You can count on it, brother. You can count on it."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 04**

Yi Jeong was definitely hungry. In his rush to leave the lounge he had totally forgotten the reason why he was there in the first place, which was to have dinner with his friends.  
He always hated eating alone, since he was a child. His father was almost never home, and his mother soon stopped having lunch and dinner with him and his brother, too busy crying over her miserable life to care about her children.  
Sometimes he pitied her, sold by her family to a man who always refused to love her, forced to endure a life she would have never choosen and lonely. That was probably the reason he couldn't just let her down: she was alone, her eldest son abandoned the family and Yi Jeong was the only one left.  
Over the years he had come to realise that no matter what, he loved his mother. It was devastating for his sanity, but he didn't want her to suffer. If his help in chasing his father everytime she threatened to hurt herself, could give her the feeling of still having a family, someone who cared for her, he knew he wouldn't stop. And yet he tried to resist everytime, hoping his mother would understand it was useless and stop hurting herself and him.  
As much as he loved her, he couldn't help but think she was to blame too for that absurd situation: nobody ever compelled her to shut herself in her room, forgetting all her past interests and living like a prisoner in her own house. She could have found joy in her life, even with a broken marriage.  
Sometimes he wondered if the same horrible life awaited the wife in his future too. Like he told Jun Pyo, stuff like love and innocence were never meant for them. His wife was going to receive all the money and luxury she wanted, but probably never his heart. That was for Eun Jae and she discarded it three years ago.  
And still, even thinking about his miserable mother, he couldn't bring himself to be a better man. His wife was just going to endure a life with him and try to be happy by herself. He just hoped she would never send their children to get him, like his mother did with his father.  
Yi Jeong shook his head, chasing those thoughts away. It was useless and he didn't need that gloomy kind of feeling now.  
Lazily watching outside from the back seats of his family car, he suddenly spotted a familiar glimpse of red: a closer look confirmed that the girl walking down the street was indeed Ga Eul yang, probably on her way home after her shift in the porridge shop.  
Well, why not, Yi Jeong thought. "See you tomorrow" he told her the day before. Now it was tomorrow. Dinner was a good way to start their bet, he wanted to study her a bit before striking home. And he was hungry.

"Sunbae?" she asked when he got out of the car to her surprise.  
"Hello." he smiled. She looked tired, judging by her face and sleepy eyes. Maybe it had been a hard day of work for her. He almost felt guilty at the thought of stopping her from going home, but he really wanted some company for dinner and, after all, a tired Ga Eul was an easier Ga Eul to manage.  
"Ga Eul yang, would you like to join me for dinner?" he asked offering her his hand.  
"Uh, sunbae... I'm really tired to be honest, and I was going home early tonight." Dinner out wasn't in her plans, not that night. After their chat the night before she almost couldn't sleep and now all she wanted was her warm bed.  
But then he smiled again and looked at her with the full force of his charcoal black eyes.  
"Please? The others are busy and I hate eating alone."  
She was going to accept, he was sure of it. Show a nice girl a minor weakness while looking in her eyes and she will do her best to help you, even when she doesn't want to.  
"Well, ok then... but just dinner. I'm really tired. And let's go to some simple restaurant please, I'm dressed too casual for a high class one." She sighed a bit. See you later, dear bed. But then again, this was So Yi Jeong and it was hard to refuse him anything, especially when he was looking at her with those pleading eyes.  
"Of course! And after dinner, I'll bring you home. Thank you Ga Eul yang."

_Yi Jeong 1 - Ga Eul 0. Nice one Yi Jeong._

Much to his surprise, dinner with her was very pleasant. He planned courting her a bit while eating, but he found himself forgetting all his schemes and enjoying dinner instead. She was a good talker, and soon they were exchanging anecdotes about their childhood, Jan Di and the F3. Ga Eul learnt that his first crush was Jun Pyo's sister and that Jun Hee declared he looked too frail to be able to love and protect her. On the other hand, she confessed sending a letter to her first crush, written on pink paper and full of little hearts, just to have it read out aloud to the rest of class. Of course the kid in question ended up nose bleeding, courtesy of Jan Di.  
All in all, he didn't have such a nice dinner with a girl in a long time, laughing and chatting.  
Maybe his good mood was the reason he didn't take a look on the caller ID when his phone rang.  
Ga Eul sensed the mood change immediately. They were smiling while eating the dessert and suddenly his face went pale, his smile faded and his eyes looked down in pain.  
"I'm busy." she heard him say. "I told you I won't do it! Stop it please. I said stop! Ok... ok."  
He hang up cursing under his breath and then looked at her. She was worried for him judging from her eyes, waiting to know what happened. But what could he tell her? _"Don't worry, it was just my suicidal mother sending me in another rescue mission for my unfaithful father"_?  
He had to send her home, now. She didn't need to see what was going to happen. Or did she?  
Yi Jeong stared at her, coldly. They had a nice time until now, and he could sense how much this was wrong. He wasn't supposed to laugh with her, not whole-heartedly like he had. Smiles and laughs were supposed to be just a means to an end when he was with a woman, not something true.  
Because of her simple presence he had forgotten one of his golden rules and this had lead him taking up his mother's call. Way to ruin a perfect evening. But this wasn't supposed to be a perfect evening in the first place, just a way to study her.  
It was a closed circle and Yi Jeong couldn't find the way out... all he knew, all he was sure of, was it was Ga Eul's fault. She did it again. Making his life a living hell. Time to pay, then.

"Let's go." he told her, standing up. She looked at him, a question in her eyes, but she didn't ask anything, just following him.  
It was only when she noticed the car wasn't heading to her home, that she turned to him again.  
"Where are we going sunbae?" she hesitantly asked.  
"To my workshop." he was looking outside, his jaw clenched.  
"Why?"  
This time he turned to look at her, and she wished he hadn't. His eyes were cold, and he had the wicked smile she knew so well on his lips. He was planning something unpleasant.  
"I want to go home." she tried.  
"You'll come with me first."  
"Take me home, sunbae!"  
The car stopped at a crossroads, waiting for the green light and she decided to take the chance. Even though she knew Yi Jeong would never hurt her, she didn't like to be taken to any place if she didn't want to go.  
Apparently she was too slow, because even before she could reach out for the handle, he grabbed her wrist with a steel grip.  
"Don't even think about that." he quietly said, holding her.  
"What are you doing? Let me go, now!" she tried to break free, but his other hand reached for the back of her neck, pulling her near him. Ga Eul held her breath, while her face turned a pale shade of red. They were too close, his eyes were too close, his face was too close, his lips were...  
"Ga Eul yang." he softly whispered, his eyes locked into hers "we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but you'll come with me. Stop struggling."

_Never forget he's a F4. Yi Jeong sunbae won't put a red card in your locker, but that doesn't mean he's not dangerous._  
Jan Di's warning echoed in her mind, while she stood perfectly still in his grasp.  
"Yi Jeong sunbae... you're scaring me." she managed to murmur.  
He looked at her shiny eyes bright with fear, her body trembling beneath his hands and felt an overwhelming urge to lean down and kiss her. Her face was so close he could smell the scent of her hair, her lips were calling him with a siren chant, and he knew it would only take a small move from him to claim them.  
Yi Jeong struggled to keep control, feeling the need to crush down on her mouth grow stronger and stronger. He never wanted to kiss a girl so much.  
Finally he released her, when the car started moving again. Ga Eul slowly moved away, finding that he was still holding her wrist.  
"Remember that dating me was your idea." he said, still staring at her, his voice tightly under control. "You have to go through with it till the end, don't you think?"  
Ga Eul didn't answer.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 05**

He was dragging her along the street, after they got off the car. Her wrist still firmly in his grip, she was trying to keep up the pace and not falling on the ground when she decided she had enough. She dig her heels in, suddenly pulling her arm and angrily shouted at him. "Stop it, now!"  
He turned around, a small smile on his lips, enjoying her fury.  
"Do you think I'm some kind of doll, that you can take where you want? Now tell me what's happening, or I swear I will start screaming so loud that the whole Seoul will wake up!"  
He chuckled, still holding her. "That would be interesting. I would be forced to silence you then."  
He took a step at her, not allowing her to stand back and his voice lowered. "What would I do to hush you, Ga Eul yang? Do you want to find out?"  
"You're being childish, sunbae." she narrowed her eyes, refusing to be scared again. "Can't you drop this dark knight mask and just tell me what's going on?"  
"Fine." he finally let go of her wrist and folded his arms on his chest. "I'm bringing you to my workshop because I want you to see something. You probably won't like it, but since you seem so determined in dating me, you have to see it. Any questions?"  
"Who was on the phone?" she asked in defiance, raising her chin. She was so angry with him she wanted to break something.  
"My mother."  
This suddenly calmed her down. She remembered the phone call, and the look of distress in his eyes and she lightly bit her lips, not knowing exactly what to say.  
"Is... something wrong at home, sunbae?" she finally asked, uncertainly.  
"That's another story Ga Eul yang. I'll tell you another time." He tried to hide it, but she saw it anyway: that painful look in his eyes again.  
"Fine." she decided to let go just this time. Yi Jeong was suffering for some reasons, and she didn't want the situation to get worse for him.  
"Let's go then, if you think I have to see whatever it is in your workshop."

The lights were off and the warm darkness welcomed them as they walked in.  
"Come with me." his voice was so low she could barely hear him, but just when she was about to ask him to turn on the lights, she felt his hand slip into hers and Yi Jeong started moving in the workshop without hesitation.  
Well, of course, she thought, he knows the place by heart. Talking about hearts, hers was furiously beating, pumping so much that she was surprised he couldn't hear it. It never stopped from dinner, to tell the truth, when she realised they were having a fun time together, and he was being so relaxed in her company; it was a warm feeling, knowing she could make him smile and laugh like that and that it wasn't a pretence this time. Too bad that phone call ruined everything. Who knows what his mother told him, to suddenly change his mood like that.  
They reached a door she never crossed in all the times she had been there and she felt Yi Jeong breathing deeply. She lightly squeezed his hand, thinking about the paradox of her giving him strenght, after all the dragging and pulling that evening and he felt his pressing hers in return. Then he opened the door and turned the light in the new room on.  
It was a bedroom. A gorgeous bed stood in the middle, dark blue silk sheets on it and there was a couple entangled in a passionate embrace just in the middle on the room, apparently ready to move on the bed.  
The woman shrieked out, pushing the man away and turned over swiftly, buttoning up her blouse; she was beautiful, in her mid 20 and totally embarassed.  
"Get out." Yi Jeong ordered her, without so much of a glance in her direction. All his attention was focused on the man.  
The girl wisely decided to run out, while the man slowly turned around, an annoyed look in his face. He didn't even bother to fasten up his half opened shirt and just snorted.  
Ga Eul was petrified, her face completely red. Yi Jeong was still holding her hand, his grasp tighter now. She wondered what that meant: a way to draw strenght from her, or merely something to stop her if she tried to get away?  
This was what he wanted her to see? A couple ready to have sex in the bedroom where he usually brought his own girls? And who was the man?  
He was probably near his fifties, wearing elegant clothes, but his eyes were empty, she thought shivering. It was like he was lifeless, just a body moving around with no soul inside.  
"Son, you're such a pain." the man finally complained, staring at him.

And then Ga Eul knew why she felt those eyes were familiar. That was the look in Yi Jeong's eyes when he was angry or in pain. That cold, empty stare. The man was his father.  
She froze even more in place, holding her breath in astonishment.

"I told you not to come here. This is my workshop." Yi Jeong's voice was quiet, but his grip on her hand was almost painful now.  
"Yes, I see this is where you come to do your work, son." the man said looking at Ga Eul. He was clearly drunk, barely able to stand, but his eyes on her were focused.  
"Care to share her, Yi Jeong? You ruined my evening, you owe me." he smiled and she finally understood how a prey must feel in front of a snake. Helpless to break the eye contact, she knew she couldn't move a step to save her life. She didn't know why, but she was terrified.  
"Don't look at her." the boy ordered, in a cold, threatening tone.  
His father just laughed, low and husky and moved some wavering steps in their direction. "Why not? She's cute and young and she looks innocent. Not your type son, but I can see why you like her. Tired of the club girls? You want to try something different?"  
He raised a hand, lightly lifting her chin and the mere touch of his fingers made her stomach turns in disgust.  
"What do you say, little lady? Willing to leave the kid and come with me? Or do you want to try us both?"  
Ga Eul didn't even realise the second Yi Jeong's hand left hers to punch his father in the face. All she knew was that the next moment, the man was on the floor while Yi Jeong was towering above him, punching him with his left hand, his eyes gleaming in anger. Not satisfied with the strenght of his blows, he stood up and started kicking him, more violently, while the drunk man just laid there groaning in pain, not able to stand up.  
"Don't touch her, you filthy bastard!" he was shouting. "Don't you dare to touch her, to look at her, to even breath in her presence!"  
She knew she had to stop him. His kicks were powerful and he could seriously hurt his father. Ga Eul finally broke her paralysis, moved to reach his arm and tried to call him.  
"Yi Jeong sunbae, please stop! You will hurt him! Stop!"  
He wasn't listening. It was like he was in frenzy, shouting incoherent things at the man lying on the floor, not even looking at her.  
And Ga Eul did the next thing she could think about: she threw herself between them, hugging Yi Jeong tightly, pressing her head to his chest and crossing her hands on his back. She could feel the crazy beat of his heart, his warmth, and all she wished in that moment was to be able to keep him safe forever from all the suffering and pain he was feeling.  
"Stop it please." she whispered "Yi Jeong sunbae, listen to me. Let him go. He didn't do anything to me. Stop hurting him."  
She kept murmuring for some seconds, feeling the power of the kicks lowering until he finally stopped.  
Silence filled the room, while Yi Jeong slowly calmed down. He slipped an arm around Ga Eul's waist, holding her against him like a sheet-anchor, and didn't move while his father slowly stood up, coughing and with one hand on his stomach.  
The man looked at them with a painful grin. "So she's the one, isn't she?"  
"Get out." Yi Jeong hissed, his eyes still flaming. "Don't ever come back here."  
Hyun Sub grinned again, resting against the door for some seconds before crossing it.  
"So she's the one." he repeated.  
Then he was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 06**

The gentle golden light, spread by several spotlights on the ceiling and walls, was illuminating the room, creating the soft atmosphere which was perfect for that bedroom purpose.  
Yi Jeong was holding Ga Eul without uttering a word. She once tried to lift her gaze to look at him, but he didn't let her, pressing a hand on her hair to keep her face on his shoulder and tightening his grasp.  
He still couldn't understand what had just happened. Why did he do something so wrong, so insane? He felt guilty and dirty, less than a man, no better than a hyena. He didn't love his father, he lost the hope to have a normal family many years ago, but he never wished to hurt him. Not before that evening.  
Finding him in his room, that he expected. Forcing him to go, that he knew too. The way he looked at Ga Eul... he sort of planned it, by bringing her there. What he could have never expected was his own reaction. His father just brushed her chin! It wasn't like he embraced her or worse, kissed her. It was a chin. A chin!  
He suggested sharing her, and Yi Jeong's mind had gone down its own track, a path in which Ga Eul yang was in his bed, within the silk sheets, her arms stretched out to him, her lips ready to receive his kiss first and then cry out loud his name, this time really waking the whole Seoul up.  
The sheer thought of her father laying a finger on her or just looking at her with that lustful glance, had been enough to set him on fire. How could he dare? Didn't he know she was out of his league, now and forever? Didn't he know she was his? Did he want to take and ruin her too, like he did with his mother, his brother, his whole family? Was Yi Jeong's life really condemned just because that bastard existed?  
He couldn't even remember the fight, to be honest. His mind was so clouded with the anger built in him since his childhood, that he only had some faint memories of what had just happened. He remembered that first punch and the shouting. He remembered that metallic taste in his mouth, like he was swallowing his own fury and frustration; the incessant flow of "why" that all revolved around his father and how he was ruining his life. Most of all he remembered Ga Eul face in his mind, spiraling with its own whispered mantra: she was his, his to please, his to hurt, his to own, mind, body and will and nobody else would ever touch her.  
Because he couldn't deny it now... he wanted that girl. She was addictive. And, like a drug, he knew he needed to have his dose, until he was satisfied. He was holding her against him at that very moment and all he could imagine was to take her to the damn bed and make her forget even her own name, so she could only remember his and know who she belonged to. The angel, owned and broken by the devil.

In the end, it was all _her_ fault. _Again._  
He nearly killed his father because of _her_. _Again._  
_She_ forced him to loose control. _Again._

He knew that the moment he let her free from his arms, she would run away from him. In her mind now, he was without doubt a cruel, heartless bastard and he deserved to be alone.  
He would allow her to go home that evening, to think about what she saw. But he would come for her again. Until he won her over.  
He inhaled deeply, loosening his grip and letting her go.  
To her credit, she never tried to talk to him, just waiting for him to be ready, after that horrible fight.  
"Are you all right?" she softly whispered, looking at him. There was a gentle look on her face, a soft gaze completely different from the disdain he was expecting to see. Was she stupid? Was she trying to comfort him even now?  
"You should go home. My chauffeur will drive you." Yi Jeong said, without answering her question.  
She shook her head. "I don't want to leave you here alone."  
Perfect, that was the sound of pity. He had beaten his father up and she was pitying him. Wasn't she supposed to shout at him, telling him what a horrible person he was, like he deserved?  
"Go home", he tried again, "I'm not a little child you have to watch."  
"Yes. You are right now."  
He clenched his fists, closing his eyes for a moment. He would _not_ seize her, he would _not _show her he was something completely different from a child.  
"Why aren't you running away?"  
They were now facing each other, and he could see she was still pale and shaken.  
"Should I?" her voice was calm, despite of all.  
"Aren't you afraid of me? You saw what I did." he bitterly smiled. _If you could see my mind now, you would already be miles away._  
"You would never hurt me. I know that." Ga Eul was speaking slowly, choosing her words carefully. What had just happened had terrified her, but she wanted to understand before judging.  
"I bet you never thought I could do something like I just did either."  
He looked up at her and continued, dead serious. "I don't know if I would have stopped if you weren't here. All I could think of, was hurting him. Breaking him. Even killing him."  
It was true. She was the cause of this madness, but she was also the one who saved the day. She had too much power over him.  
"I know you would have stopped. You're not like that, sunbae."  
Couldn't she just stop with all the understanding and go away to let him think of his sins in peace?  
Most of all, he knew having that kind of conversation in his bedroom was a very bad idea. They should go back to the workshop, where maybe the flashes of them entangled between his sheets would stop.  
"You don't know anything about me." Yi Jeong softly declared. He had enough. If she didn't want to go home, he would make her.  
"Do you want to know why I forced you to come here?" he asked.  
She slowly nodded, trying to calm down. It was over, she needed to breathe deeply and listen to him. That was the first time she ever saw his darkest face and it was truly scaring. She was starting to realise Yi Jeong had a whole world of suffering in his heart, something so deep and corrupted that had the power to overwhelm him. The sunbae she knew and liked, not the playboy, but the gentle Yi Jeong, was a mask to hide his dark side and she didn't know how to help him, how to dissipate the darkness in his heart and turn that mask into a reality.

"Because I wanted to hurt you."  
That sudden answer hit her full force. Hurt her? Was he still thinking about their bet? Even now? Was it really so important to him, to his pride?  
"I wanted you to see me. What I will become. That's my path, my future." the cold Yi Jeong was back. She couldn't bear to see that empty look in his eyes.  
"Only you can decide that. You don't like what your father is. Why do you want to become like him?"  
"We can't fool our blood, I guess."  
Ga Eul's eyes suddenly fired up and her features hardened. That stupid boy was really persuaded that his future was already laid before him? She mentally took back what she thought before about his pride: the guy didn't have any. Only a complete spineless being could accept a destiny without fighting against it. And something so weak like him expected to hurt her?  
"Sorry to disappoint you then", she snorted, "but I'm not hurt. It takes more than seeing an unfaithful man to break me. Who do you think I am, some silly princess who never saw the world?"  
"And what are you, still twelve?" Ga Eul continued in complete disdain. "Blood? What does it mean? Blood isn't your mind, your heart or your will. It doesn't mean anything. You decide of your future. Yi Jeong sunbae, grow up! You're just a coward."  
She took a step forward and he wondered if she was going to try slapping him. She sure looked angry enough. The look of soft understanding was faded from her eyes, replaced by wrath. He liked this more, seeing her all on fire. Even though her statements were insolent and were just fueling his own rage, it was fascinating. Her cheeks were a soft pink now, her eyes were shining and her usually sweet voice was raising, keeping the pace with her anger.  
"Your father is unfaithful. Are you his clone? Nobody forced you to become a playboy, _you_ did it. Because it's easy, because you don't have to think, to react. You can just stay there and cry about your unfair life. That's ridicolous! You're worth much more than that!"  
"Can you still say that after what I just did? I beat him! I wanted to kill him with my own hands! I'm just a monster!" he shouted back. She was destroying his whole world with just few sentences, tearing up his mask, shattering his defensive walls. Damn, he really hated her, that little Miss Perfection. And he was not a coward!  
"I don't know why you did it, ok?" Ga Eul was shouting as well, glaring at him "You should never have, how could you beat your own father! But still, this isn't the whole you! You made a mistake, but you stopped!"  
"I didn't stop! I didn't want to! _You_ made me! You, you, you, it's always _you_! Always in my life, always looking at me like I'm some kind of Prince Charming! But I'll make you stop!"  
She stepped back, suddenly scared by the wrath she could see in his eyes. The moment she saw he extended his arm to her, she turned and ran. Pure istinct told her he was dangerous now, he wasn't his usual self and maybe she was the one who pushed him over the edge with her words.  
Like a deer in front of a lion, Ga Eul ran, trying to escape. But he was too fast. He caught her even before she could cross the door of the bedroom and enclosed her in his arms, her back pressed agains his chest, dragging her back near the bed.  
"Let go of me!" She shrieked, tossing and turning.  
"You're afraid of me now? Taking back all you said about me being a good guy?" Yi Jeong was holding her firmly in place, now whispering in her ear.  
"Didn't you say I would never hurt you?" he turned her in his embrace, and grabbed the back of her neck like he did in the car, forcing her to look at him. He could see she was scared, but that emotion was quickly giving way to fury. She wasn't going to surrender, not yet. This angered him even more. Did she really want him to _make_ her bow down? Because he could. And he would. He needed to. "I want to hurt you. I want to hurt you so much, I want to see you cry. I want you to see hell, like I do everyday."  
"Why? What did I do to you to deserve this?" she was still trying to free herself, not willing to give up. Who did he think he was to treat her like that? She was trying to help him!  
"_You tried to change me._ And I can't stand that. I can't stand your laughter, I can't stand your cheerfulness, I can't stand your hope!"  
"That's pathetic." she hissed in his face "Let me go, stupid F4!"  
At that he smiled, tightening his grasp on her neck and her waist. "You know, you're right. I'm a F4. And do you know what they say about us?"  
His gaze darkened as he shifted his eyes to her lips. "That we always get what we want!"  
He leaned down and tried to kiss her. To satisfy the need he was feeling almost ever since he knew her. He wanted to taint her, to erase her smile.  
But she resisted, raising her arms, twisting her face, tossing and turning and in the end she finally broke free, only to trip on the bed and falling on it with a loud cry.  
She tried to get up fast, but he was already there.  
Even with only one hand, he was stronger than her. She fought as much as she could, shrieking and trying to hit him, but Yi Jeong used his weight to press her under him, pinning her hands above her head with his left hand.  
Ga Eul's eyes still failed to show him the faintest shade of fear and he smiled at that. As a try he used his knee to force her legs to spread, while looking at her. Still no fear.  
"This is going to be interesting." he whispered, smiling at her outraged expression.

Then he descended on her.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 07**

The day before she told him she liked him and now she was in his bed. What for most girls would have been a dream come true, for Ga Eul was a nightmare. She was terrified, afraid she wouldn't have been able to stop him, but she didn't want to cry.  
Crying meant defeat and that was what Yi Jeong wanted: to hear her surrender, her begging.  
He was lowering down to her, his body completely pressed on hers to stop her from moving. When she turned her face to not be kissed, he just chuckled and went to her neck, breathing in her hair, like he was savouring its scent. Their legs were intertwined and even though she wanted to keep fighting, she had to stop when she realised that all she was doing was arousing him even more.  
His right hand had reached the edge of her sweater and was sliding under it, to touch the bare skin of her waist. His fingers were cold and she suppressed a moan that could have been misunderstood for a cry of pleasure. She certainly didn't want to make him think she was enjoying this.  
Ga Eul knew what would come next, now that his hand was touching her skin and the thought was scaring her: she had to do something before it was too late.  
But what to do? He seemed completely crazy, like some inner beast suddenly came to the surface. She needed to make him listen to her, to stop it just for some moments, letting his mind take control again.  
As much as she hated it, maybe the best way was indeed to beg him. If Yi Jeong was just trying to scare her, and not actually go through with it till the end, he was going to stop if she gave him what he wanted.  
I don't have much time, Ga Eul thought freneticly, watching him raising again to stare at her. His gaze was dark with passion and the thin line on his lips showed that he had no intention of letting her turn her head again.

"You really are a coward then." she whispered an inch from his descending lips.  
Damn, great job Ga Eul, she mentally slapped herself, now he will be even angrier. Wasn't I supposed to be begging him?  
But deep in her mind she knew she couldn't. Begging him meant to realise that he was serious, that he really wanted to hurt her, that she misunderstood him all the time they spent together. It meant that all their memories together were fake like their dates.  
"The great So Yi Jeong is desperate enough to force himself on a girl? When he can have hundreds?"  
He stopped and just stood above her. His right hand left her waist and went to cup her face, playing with her hair. An absent part of her mind noted that he really liked her hair and congratulated herself for her cherry shampoo choice: if he was touching her hair, he wasn't touching something else.  
She found she could breath better now: he had adjusted himself over her still keeping her in place, only now most of his weight was sustained by his elbows.  
"Are you trying to distract me?" he murmured, his voice so husky she could barely hear him.  
"Is it working?" she replied, looking at him straight in his eyes.  
"Maybe." he still wasn't moving, but she felt he was starting to relax. She dared to hope the worst was over.  
"Ga Eul yang." he called after some minutes of silence in which they remained perfectly still, just looking at each other and slowly breathing in and out. "Why can't I scare you? Why aren't you crying? Most girls would be begging me to stop by now. Or they would give in and accept it, just for the priviledge of sleeping with me. Why are you so different?"  
"Because I'm stronger than you think. And like I told you yesterday, I'm different from those other girls. I may not know everything about you, but I still know you better than any of them."  
He was still staring at her, caressing her every feature with his eyes and she kept her voice and gaze carefully neutral, still looking for the faintest sign that he would assault her again.  
"To me, you're not So Yi Jeong, the famous potter, the heir of the So family. You're just Yi Jeong sunbae. I don't care about your family name or how much money you have. I care about you, not your background."  
That hurt like hell. One moment he was trying to undress her and the second after, she was stripping his soul. Just with a few words.  
Her eyes still showed no fear and Yi Jeong mentally sighed, thinking that maybe they would have never done. The country bumpkin had won the round.  
Ga Eul looked up at her hands, still pinned on the bed. "How about you let go?"  
"Are you going to run?"  
"No."  
Yi Jeong slowly let go of her hands, but remained over her until she started staring at him with a questioning look.  
"I like staying like this." he explained, only to chuckle when she threw daggers at him with her eyes. He got up, immediately missing the warmth of her body beneath his and sat on the floor, his back on the bed.  
He felt empty, deprived of any energy, like he just survived a typhoon or something like that. He looked at his hands and suddenly hated them. In just one evening he had used them to hit his own father and to hurt a helpless girl. Well, no. Ga Eul yang was not helpless at all.  
What have I done, Yi Jeong thought burying his head in his hands. What was I thinking to do something so out of line?  
He didn't even notice Ga Eul have risen from the bed until he saw her sit on a chair, near the door. She was looking at him with calm eyes, but Yi Jeong could see her hands were grasping the soft fabric of her skirt.  
He should congratulate himself, he managed to scare her, even though she would never admit it. Hurting her, that was the goal, wasn't it? So why was he feeling so awfully bad about it? And why was he suddenly thinking that he almost never saw her in something else than a skirt? Well, if one didn't count those shorts in New Caledonia... but he wasn't supposed to remember things like that. She wasn't supposed to be imprinted so much in his memory, to affect him so much. It was so wrong, on so many levels that Yi Jeong couldn't even start to enumerate them. And most of all, thinking about her, for some reason, seemed to make him recall Eun Jae as well. And it hurt.

"I think we should talk." she quietly said, snatching him away from his strange line of thoughts.  
She wanted to talk to the man who almost raped her? That girl was really fearless.  
"Are you waiting for an apology?" he asked. He didn't mean to sound ironic, but maybe it was what she perceived, because she narrowed her eyes.  
"I suppose hearing a F4 apologize would turn the world upside down." Ga Eul replied with sarcasm "So I'll be content with a simple explanation. What was in your mind this evening, sunbae? First you drag me here, then you beat your father up, then you try to..." she hesitated while lowering her eyes, but he could see the blush that was rising to her cheeks.  
He was sure she wasn't thinking about the word "rape". Yi Jeong knew she was recalling the moment where his fingers were on her bare skin, and when they were so close he could have kissed her and the feeling of their body pressed to each other. Just reminding this was enough to arouse him again, but this time he managed to control it.  
He had done enough mistakes for one night, he couldn't afford to keep up. Right now she was willing to try to sort all out by talking, but he knew that if he attacked her again, it would be over and he would never see her again. Or anybody else, because his friends and Geum Jan Di would have killed him.  
"I can't do it now. This whole evening, it was crazy."  
Ga Eul looked at him, noticing he looked like he was about to break down: his eyes were tired and his expression showed guilt and pain.  
"You're asking for a rest you don't deserve after what you did." she harshly said.  
"I know."  
"Fine then." Ga Eul stood up, still staring at him "But you will have to do something in exchange."  
"What do you want?" Yi Jeong couldn't understand what she was aiming for. All he knew was he needed to think, to let this cursed night pass and see a new sun rise. Maybe tomorrow he would be able to think more straight.  
"This night you're not allowed to drink, to go to a club or to look for a woman. You'll stay here or go home, as you please, but you're going to be alone and sober. It's time you start to grow up and you can't do it while wasting yourself."  
Yi Jeong sprang up, glaring at her. "Hey, who do you think you are to order me around like this?"  
"You owe me." she simply said. "Just promise me and I will go home and let you be."  
"And if I don't?" he wasn't going to surrender like that. He wasn't thinking about going to a club or looking for a woman, but damn, he needed to drink.  
"If you don't", her eyes fired up again and he knew he was in trouble, "I'm going to call Woo Bin sunbae and ask him to come here and then you can explain to us both what happened tonight. I'm sure he will be interested."  
Now he was starting to remember why he always thought she was the most irritating woman he ever knew. Not to mention she was dangerous. He was almost scared by the istinct she was showing in hitting all his weak points.  
"How can you know if I will keep my promise or not?"  
"I know you will. Because I trust you."  
That damn, silly, sweet, charming country bumpkin. He really hated her.  
"Fine." he sighed. "I promise."  
She nodded with a slight hint of a smile on her lips and Yi Jeong felt again the need to hug her tightly and kiss her. He didn't want to let her go, but he knew he had to.  
"Thank you. Goodnight Yi Jeong sunbae."  
"Goodnight Ga Eul yang."

He followed her at a respectul distance and stood there for some more minutes after his family car disappeared from sight taking her away from him.  
"Goodnight white angel." he whispered in the cold night.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 08**

Ga Eul closed the door behind her, took her shoes away and walked in the apartment, finding her parents on the couch, watching TV.  
Never like that night she wanted to be a child again, to sneak between them, lean her head on her mother's lap and feel her father's hand on her back, caressing her lightly. They always made her feel safe and protected, but this time she couldn't share her troubles with her family. His father would have killed Yi Jeong, regardless of his status, if he ever knew what he had done to her.  
"Are you all right?" her mother asked, looking at her carefully. She didn't like what she saw, her daughter seemed so tired she could have collapsed on the floor right there.  
"Yes, I'm just tired... I didn't sleep well last night and my plan of going to bed early this evening was delayed." Ga Eul tried to smile reassuringly, knowing that her mother was too much observant for her own good. She didn't want her parents to know what had happened that evening.  
"Next time, come home. I'm sure your friend would have survived even if you didn't go to dinner with him."  
Ga Eul nodded feeling a lump in her throat and after a moment she managed to say she was going to take a shower and then go to bed.

Locked in the bathroom, she started to undress throwing her clothes in the basket to be cleaned, not bearing to look at them anymore, especially her sweater: she could feel Yi Jeong's perfume on it.  
Slowly and methodically, she put everything away, thinking about every movement, repeating it in her head while she moved around the bath.  
_I'll put the sweater in the basket.__  
__Then I'll take my shirt off. I'll put it in the basket too.__  
__Now the skirt. Here it is, down in the basket.__  
__My tights. In the basket. Done._  
She looked at herself for a short moment, with just her underwear on and she shivered, thinking how close she had been to have it rip off.  
_No. Stop it Ga Eul.__  
__Take off the bra now, and put it down in the basket.__  
__The panties now. Good girl, down in the basket._  
She went in the shower box and turned the hot water on, welcoming its warm touch on her skin. It wasn't enough, she decided, turning it even hotter, until it started to burn. Now it was better.  
She took her time under the shower, especially insisting on her waist, face and hands where Yi Jeong and his father had touched her. Her skin turned red from the hotness and the rubbing before she was satisfied.  
Finally she was done, but when her hand went to turn the water off, she hesitated. The burning hot drops kept falling on her and she lifted her face, to receive them. For a long time she just stayed there, breathing in and out until she leaned against the wall and a sob finally burst out. Another one followed short after, and then another one, until she lowered her head, still feeling the hot water on her back and she bursted into tears, slowly sliding down to the bottom of the shower box.  
She didn't want to cry, she tried her best to avoid it, but now that it started, she was helpless to stop it.  
Ga Eul cried her heart out, glad that the shower noise masked her sobs, glad that she managed to be in a secure place before letting out all her anger, fear, frustration and disillusion.

She still couldn't believe what happened that evening. What started as a perfect date, turned into a perfect nightmare. Worst of all, So Yi Jeong was the mastermind behind it.  
She knew it was going to be hard with him, that he had some kind of block preventing him to welcome love in his life and now she had seen some of it, in the person of his father. It was easy to see how living in an unhappy family could have ruined Yi Jeong's faith in love but still he had no rights to do what he did to her.  
For heaven's sake, he tried to_ rape_ her.  
There, she said it.  
The dreaded word.  
She wanted to believe that he would have stopped by himself, but truth to be told she wasn't sure of it. He was so scary, so crazy. Like he was someone else, and not the Yi Jeong sunbae she liked so much it made her heart ache.  
She still remembered his eyes, so dark and passionate, his hands that could gently hold hers or force her down to the bed, his arms hugging her and then trapping her. His lips, his mouth so close to hers, and still so far from what she wanted. If they ever kissed, she didn't want it to be by force, but out of love.  
She kept crying, burning tears of anger this time, for him and for herself as well. Sometimes she wished she was some of his other girls, the ones that didn't know a thing about him. She would have believed the lie, then, she would have thought that cruel Yi Jeong was the real one, and just run away, never to see him again.  
But she wasn't, she was Chu Ga Eul and she knew him a little bit. _That_ was _not_ the real him and it frustrated her so much that he didn't want to admit it, burying himself in a vortex of wrath and self-destruction.  
The worst thing was that she couldn't let it go.  
She could have told his friends and stop caring about it, letting them deal with him, but she couldn't.  
She didn't know if it was love or just a simple infatuation, but she wanted to help him, to see him smile again, like in New Caledonia, like on the ice rink, like on their dinner. It was so wonderful when he smiled like that, when his eyes were glowing with peace and she could see what he was trying to hide to the whole world.

Ga Eul slowly calmed down, relieved and exhausted from all the crying. She acted strong in front of Yi Jeong because she wanted him to understand he couldn't pull her strings like a puppet, but even though all her anger for him was real, it hadn't been easy to keep her fear under control. Now it was all out, and even though she was really tired, she was feeling better too.  
She dried up and went to bed, pulling her blanket up to her chin and hoping she wouldn't dream about that night, but just wake up in the morning with some new energy.  
Her last thought before the much desired sleep was for him and when he said that he always got what he wanted.  
He never said he wanted her, he always tried to push her away.  
She still remembered their bet and his will to hurt her, but somehow she felt that was not it.  
Maybe something was changing.  
Maybe this hellish night had happened because he was starting to realise he really cared about her and he wanted to fight this feeling out of fear.  
Maybe there was still hope. For him. For her. For them.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 09**

"Please come back again!" Ga Eul closed the door behind the middle aged woman who just paid the bill and turned to the table, retrieving the dishes. She brought them to the kitchen to have them washed and then started cleaning the table.  
It had been a quiet day so far, with just a few customers and after a good night of sleep, thankfully without nightmares, she felt much better. And much more angry than the night before.  
The sound of the door interrupted her and she turned around to greet the newly arrived but the dutifully cheerful "welcome!" died in her throat, when she recognized the guy in front of her.  
"Woo Bin sunbae?"  
"Hey hey!" the mafia prince waved at her, smiling. "How are you?"  
"I'm fine thank you. What brings you here? Do you want some porridge?"  
She was a little nervous, to be honest. Woo Bin rarely showed up at her workplace, and usually he was with Yi Jeong who was the last person she wanted to see that day, for his own sake. She still wasn't ready to talk to him, let alone forgive him.  
When she realised Yi Jeong wasn't with Woo Bin, she exhaled an inner sigh of relief. But why was Woo Bin there then?

"If you're looking for Jan Di, she's out for deliveries." she tried, but the guy shook his head, sitting down at a table.  
"I'm actually here for you." he told her, inviting Ga Eul to sit next to him.  
_Oh please no, Yi Jeong sunbae can't have told him what happened last night..._  
Woo Bin noted that she suddenly paled and was struggling to keep a straight face. "All ok?" he asked her, with a worried look.  
"Yes... of course." Ga Eul started biting her lower lip, unmoving like she was glued to the ground. When she realised she was showing all her nervousness, she suddenly smiled trying to relax. "So, what can I do for you?"  
"Well." he started but then stood up and gently pushed Ga Eul down to the chair. "Please sit down. You look really pale. Are you sure you're all right?"  
She nodded keeping praying in her mind: she would have died of embarassment if Woo Bin told her he knew about last night. No, she would have killed that damn potter before. Even though the night before she threatened to expose him to Woo Bin sunbae, she didn't really want the mafia prince to know everything. It hadn't been a bluff, but she was happy she didn't have to go through with it.

"Yesterday we were at the lounge." Woo Bin started again, keeping an eye on Ga Eul. That girl was really worrying him. "And Yi Jeong told us you two decided to date."  
"Well yes." she answered keeping her voice as steady as possible. "I mean, I asked. He just accepted."  
"Are you really sure about it, Ga Eul yang? You know us all for almost a year now, you know it can't be so easy. Is this really what you want?"  
"Yes I am sure." she replied, more determined this time.  
She was thinking about it since she woke up that morning; a part of her wanted to run away as fast as she could, but another part knew she wouldn't. Even though Yi Jeong really scared her, she couldn't forget all the rest: their dinner and his carefree eyes while they were laughing together, or the way he lightly squeezed her hand in the darkness of his workshop, or his embrace, and the feel he was completely relying on her.  
She certainly didn't dare to think he needed her, but that moment of vulnerability showed her something she still couldn't believe: for those brief minutes, Yi Jeong trusted her, allowing her to see him in a less than perfect state.  
What came after was probably a natural reaction from him: she saw his naked soul and she had to pay. He needed to return to a position of power over her, he couldn't afford to show his weak side. That stupid, self-centered, vain guy almost raped her just to prove his point.  
Now that she wasn't scared anymore, only the anger was left, and she was so furious with him that she could have screamed.  
But that was also the reason she couldn't give up. If he opened up, it meant he trusted her. She wanted to show him that trust was well put. After some revenge of course, he couldn't really expect to just get away with it like that.  
"So..." she added after a brief silence "Are you here to give me the "give up" speech, like Yi Jeong sunbae did with me when Jun Pyo sunbae started chasing Jan Di?"  
Woo Bin smiled, fully remembering that night and the expression of Yi Jeong's face when Ga Eul had stormed out of his workshop, completely ignoring his charm. Funny enough, that had not been the last time: she ignored him in New Caledonia too and that was the first time he had ever seen Yi Jeong chasing after a girl, even it was only to get some information about Jan Di and her supposed "other love". Which turned out to be Ji Hoo by the way.  
He really hated that period of their life, when he was fearing F4 would be no more. It was maybe the first time he understood how much he depended on his friends, how much he needed them. He once told Yi Jeong that he only felt embarassed for his mafia ties in front of them, but he never told him how much important they were to him.  
When he called them "brothers" it wasn't just a word to him.  
And suddenly Geum Jan Di and Chu Ga Eul bursted into their world, turning it upside down. What was just a game turned out to be a deadly serious matter, now that Jun Pyo was forced into marriage and Woo Bin didn't want the same thing to happen to Yi Jeong, because he didn't believe even for a second the whole "I just want to show her her place" nonsense from his friend.

"I won't tell you the same things Yi Jeong did, but I want you to carefully think about it." the mafia prince looked at Ga Eul with now serious eyes. "Jun Pyo and Ha Jae Kyung... it could happen to Yi Jeong at any moment. Or to me, for what matters. This is our world Ga Eul yang, and we can't avoid it."  
She looked away, biting her lip again and he felt sorry for her. He didn't want anybody to suffer, but it was his duty as a friend to warn her of the possible outcome.  
"How can you all accept it?" Ga Eul finally replied. She looked angry but sad as well. "We're not in some ancient century, we're at the present day. People should be free to love and marry whoever they want. Why waste your lives like this?"  
"I suppose you can look at it as the price we must pay to live in paradise." he said trying to look relaxed. He didn't like where this conversation was going.  
"Price?" she glared at him and he suddenly felt uneasy on the chair. "Do you mean you accept to sell your lives and your future happiness in exchange for money, cars and luxury? That's sad sunbae."  
"Some of us don't." his thoughts flew on Yi Jeong's older brother. "But I don't know if they get an happy ending. In our world, when you refuse to abide by the rules, you are usually thrown out of your family, stripped of your inheritance and forgotten."  
"How can a parent do something like this? It's so unnatural."  
"It can be even worse. The family will throw out the unwilling heir only if he has some siblings that can replace him. Jun Pyo has none, since Jun Hee noona is already married. That's why his mother will do anything in her power to make him marry Monkey."  
Jae Kyung explained her and Jan Di the meaning of the nickname, so she knew about it. It had actually been fun to imagine that explosive girl clinging on Jun Pyo's back and biting his ear. Well, until she remembered it was the same evening of that horrible birthday party.  
"So... Yi Jeong sunbae's family is the same? Willing to trade his happiness for business?"  
"Probably not his parents. But his grandfather is another story."  
"But then... his parents can help him, can't they?" well, probably not his father, after what Yi Jeong had done, but maybe his mother...  
"Dont' count on it." Woo Bin bluntly answered. "Yi Jeong doesn't have a family like you mean it. His parents don't care about him at all, that's the only reason they won't try to arrange his marriage. It's like he doesn't even exist to them, except when they need something."  
He stopped, realising he was saying too much and softened his gaze. "Look. I just wanted to warn you. I don't know how much involved you are with him now... but you're a smart girl. You have to think about all the consequences of what you're doing. I don't want to see you and Yi Jeong suffer like Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di."  
He stood up and Ga Eul slowly rose as well.  
"I'm sorry if I scared you, I didn't mean to. I just had to tell you how things are." Woo Bin was feeling awkward. He liked Ga Eul and he was pretty sure his friend liked her too, but truth to be told, he was scared. Seeing Jun Pyo, of all people, forced into marriage like that, was really painful to him not to mention it made him feel powerless.  
"But just so you know..." the words escaped his lips without him even knowing. "Should Yi Jeong choose you... you will have my full support. You can come to me whenever you need. Know that Song Woo Bin is your friend, Ga Eul yang."  
He winked at her and left the shop, leaving a stunned girl behind.

While driving his sports car away, he suddenly smiled and felt better, realising that those last words were the real reason why he had gone to Ga Eul in the first place: not to warn her, or to make her give up, but to offer her his help. He couldn't know if things were fated to end up good or bad, but he didn't want to just watch. He intended to help. Both Yi Jeong and Jun Pyo. Now he only had to figure out how.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 10**

Yi Jeong parked his bright orange car just outside Ga Eul's house and turned the engine off. He carefully avoided meeting her in the last few days but now he couldn't anymore. It wasn't that he was afraid of seeing Ga Eul, but he needed time to absorb what happened, to think.  
First, there was the issue regarding his father. Even though unwillingly, he had gone to see him the next day, to check if he really hurted him, but thankfully he was fine, even though some movements were slightly painful. Hyun Sub wasn't expecting any apologies and he hadn't received any, save for the visit itself. All things considered it had been a civil conversation until his father had bid him goodbye.  
"Remember." he had said out of the blue. "The real one only comes once. But even if she does, you have to let her go, son. Because she isn't for you. She will never be for you."  
Yi Jeong had stiffened in the place, but he had not turned to look at him, choosing to go out, quietly closing the door and his father's bitterness behind him.  
He wished he could shut those words out of his mind too, but even now they were still echoing.  
Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if three years ago he grasped his once in a lifetime chance and confessed to Eun Jae. Would their love have lasted? Would his family have allowed them to be together? Or had he just spared himself useless pain? He really didn't know.  
And now, Ga Eul yang... she really had the power to confuse him. He missed her and at the same time he was glad to not see or hear from her. He wanted to erase that cheerful smile from her lips, but he wanted her to laugh as well. He couldn't stand her when she was lecturing him, but he couldn't help to listen to her.  
Worst of all, he couldn't forget the feeling of her body under his own: her softness, her warm skin, the glow in her eyes. Why? He tried to analyze the situation, to rationalize it, but he just couldn't understand.  
Yi Jeong had his fair experience with women, even since he was a kid and truth to be told, he played in his bed with women far more beautiful than Ga Eul. That girl really didn't have anything so special. And still... Maybe what confused him was that she confessed to him and yet she resisted when they were together. Another girl would have seized the chance at once, but not Ga Eul. She was actually furious!  
And he wanted her. Physically. More and more he was regretting letting her go that night, each time thinking that maybe he could have persuaded her to sleep with him without using violence. The sheer thought of a Casanova like him reduced to "persuade" a girl, was enough to horrify him. And yet maybe, if he could satisfy this strange craving, the confusion would have stopped.  
Yi Jeong knocked his head against the seat of his car, frustrated. He needed to shut her out of his mind, he couldn't stand it anymore. He needed to end what he started with her, this was making him go crazy. It was just curiosity, he decided. He had her within his grasp and yet he had let her go and now he was unable to stop wondering what would have been if he hadn't. Yes, that was it. Just curiosity of feeling her skin under his fingers again and breath in her hair and...  
"Enough." he told himself out loud.  
He took out his phone and dialed her number, waiting patiently. He was sure she would pick up, even if she was still angry. Ga Eul was a polite girl.  
Just as he expected, she answered the phone, but didn't speak.  
He breathed in deeply before talking.  
"Hello, Ga Eul yang."  
Still silence on her end of the call, but he waited.  
"Hello, sunbae." she replied in the end.

When she saw his call, she couldn't believe it. After all those days of complete silence, he was trying to contact her again. What was she supposed to do? She contemplated the option of not answering the phone, but she admitted to herself she was curious to know what he wanted to tell her.  
Now, if only he uttered some words... like maybe "I'm sorry, I was a stupid brat", she would have considered forgiving him. All he had to do was swallow his pride and apologize. But there was no hope for that. Ga Eul knew him enough to know that he would have just acted like nothing happened, in pure F4 style.  
She picked up the call but she didn't greet him, waiting for him to take the first step. At least that, she thought bitterly.  
"Woo Bin would like to meet you at the lounge, with Ji Hoo and me." he told her, his voice neutral. "He asked me to come and get you. Can you come?"  
"It's night sunbae. It's almost eleven o'clock to be precise. Can't this wait tomorrow?"  
"It's about Geum Jan Di." was the answer.  
That upset her. "Did something happen? Is she all right?"  
"Yes, for now. But I don't know for how long. I can come and ask your parent's permission, if they don't want to let you come."  
"No, that's not necessary. Just wait for me." and she hang up the phone, looking for something to wear. That guy was incredible, she thought, getting the first skirt she saw in the drawer. Why was that he always came when she was ready to sleep? Like that other day when...  
"No. Just get dressed Ga Eul." she firmly told herself.  
It was only when she was crossing her gate that it occurred to her it could all be a lie, just to lure her out. But no, Yi Jeong didn't need such tricks to talk to her. Or did he?  
Well, it was too late now, he was already getting out the car.  
They stood there for some moments, just looking at each other until he opened the door of the car for her.  
"Please. I know we have a lot to talk about, but this is important." _Woo Bin, you are going to pay for it. I'm actually pleading her! Next time come do the dirty work yourself._  
"It's not a trick?" she asked, her eyes still cold.  
"It's not a trick." Like he needed tricks to talk to her. Tsk.  
"Will you kidnap me again?"  
Yi Jeong rolled his eyes and sighed annoyed. "Ga Eul yang. I don't need tricks to talk with you and if I want to bring you somewhere, I just do it. Now get in, we have to go."  
"Don't order me around." Really, who did he think he was? Dragging her around on his own will? She thought she already clarified she was not a puppet.  
"Why can't you be reasonable just for once? Do you think I wanted to come and get you?" he cursed himself after saying that. Now he would never hear the end of it.  
"Ah sorry then! It didn't seem to me my sight was so unbearable for you just a few days ago!" Now, where that came from? Was she crazy?  
Pissed off - she was really amazing. Pissing him off in less than one minute - Yi Jeong acted on instinct.  
He grabbed her arm to turn her towards the car and get her in, but she tripped in his feet and crashed on him pushing him against the car with a muffled cry.  
Her eyes wide open, she immediately tried to disentangle herself, but Yi Jeong's arms were already on her waist, keeping her against him.  
She slowly raised her head to meet his eyes and found his dark gaze fixed on her with an unreadable expression while he lifted an hand to brush a lock of hair aside, tucking it behind her ear.  
"Ga Eul yang." his voice was low, almost a whisper. "We have to go."  
Unable to speak she just nodded and then he slowly let her go, closing the door behind her.  
Neither of them uttered a word during the drive.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 11**

"Thanks for coming, Ga Eul yang." Woo Bin greeted her, after the silent couple arrived at the lounge. "I'm sorry if it's late... you had no problems at home, right?"  
"My parents are not home for some days, so I'm free. I just hope they won't try to call me right now." she sat down on the couch trying to concentrate on the present, and calm down the beat of her heart that pumped like crazy ever since she left her house.  
"So what's the matter? What's wrong with Jan Di?"  
"Well." Ji Hoo was sipping a glass of wine, but the look in his eyes was very worried. "Tonight I went to Jan Di's, since today you told me she moved. When I arrived, I saw Jun Pyo dragged away by his mother's men. Did you know he moved to stay near Jan Di?"  
"Yes, she told me." Ga Eul nodded. "So I guess his mother found it out as well..."  
"I called Woo Bin and Yi Jeong and asked them to come as well, fearing that Madam Kang would have soon made her appearance... I was right."  
Ga Eul slightly paled at the thought of Jan Di at the mercy of that terrible woman. "So what happened?"  
"Well, I'm glad she wasn't alone to face her, but I fear our presence just complicated things. She basically accused Jan Di of trying to seduce all four of us, since we were in her house so late at night."  
Ga Eul sprang up, her eyes on flame. "Madam Kang said what?"  
"Don't take it at heart, Ga Eul yang." Woo Bin's voice was resigned. "She's always like that. She's trying to isolate Jun Pyo, she always did since when he was a kid. We're his friends since kindergarten and she still can't stand us. What she told Geum Jan Di is just based on her assumption that nobody in this world is worth of Jun Pyo."  
Ga Eul sat down again, a pained expression in her eyes. "Poor Jan Di... Ji Hoo sunbae, how was she?"  
"She was shaken of course. But you know her... as soon as Madam Kang went away, she did her best to convince us she was ok, and she sent us home."  
Woo Bin looked at Yi Jeong, who didn't say a word since when he entered and noted that he sat in the farthest place from Ga Eul, looking everywhere but at her. He slightly arched his eyebrow, but he set the matter aside for later.  
"You know Geum Jan Di better than any of us, that's why I asked for you here." he told Ga Eul, still keeping an eye on Yi Jeong. Did he just look at her and then suddenly looked away? "The truth is we're worried for her. She and her brother are living in that room, at the mercy of the first burglar who decide to open that door. It's not a house, it's a called disaster. And now Jun Pyo's mother knows where she is."  
"I know..." Ga Eul bit her lip and Woo Bin, still looking at Yi Jeong with the corner of his eyes, noted that he was now watching her so intently it was almost embarassing to be in the same room with them. He needed to have a long talk with his best friend.  
"I tried to talk Jan Di into coming to live with me, but she declined." Ga Eul was still talking and Woo Bin turned his attention to her again. "I don't like them living there either, but what can we do?"

All in all, it was a very depressing evening. They tried to think about several options, from lending her money to offering her some other apartments, but Ga Eul rejected them all.  
"Jan Di is too proud to seek help or accept loans. She doesn't want to depend on anybody and..." she interrupted herself, slightly embarassed, but when Ji Hoo motioned her to keep on, she ended the sentence. "I'm sorry to say this, but you're all Jun Pyo sunbae's friends. He was the one who started this mess, she's in trouble because of him. I'm afraid you're the last people she would seek help at."  
A thick silence filled the room and Ga Eul was worrying she had offended them, when Ji Hoo leaned against the couch sighing. "I can't stand to know she's in this mess and we can't do anything about it."  
"Well." Yi Jeong spoke for the first time that evening. "We can't help her directly, but we can at least make that room more comfortable."  
"What are you thinking about?" Woo Bin asked.  
"You saw that place... they cleaned it, but it's still miserable. It would need new furniture, some painting, something to make it warmer. We can provide it."  
"But that will have the opposite effect. They will stay there even more."  
"Ji Hoo." Yi Jeong looked at the white knight of their group. "I know you want Geum Jan Di to be safe, but there's nothing we can do right now. She won't have any help, but she won't refuse a gift. It will show our support to her and at the same time, she will know we respect her decision and we won't force her to accept our help."  
Ji Hoo clenched his jaw, but didn't reply. It pained him, but he knew Yi Jeong was right.  
"So you're suggesting a total revamp of her place?" Ga Eul clapped her hands, a smile on her lips for the first time that evening. "That's a good idea sunbae! We can buy her some new furniture, but it must not be too expensive or she won't accept it. And we can paint the walls, and get some new curtains."  
"So we have Chu Ga Eul guarantee that Geum Jan Di will like it?"  
"Woo Bin sunbae, she will love it! Especially if we do it ourselves. It will be a real gift then!"  
"Hey hey." Woo Bin raised his hands, a slightly worried look in his eyes. "I never painted anything, I was thinking about having it done by someone else."  
"No no no." Ga Eul stood up and looked at them like a little general with his army. "Tomorrow I don't have to work, so I'll go to a mall and I'll buy everything we need. Then we will meet at her place and we'll start working. When Jan Di will know we did everything on our own she will be so happy!"  
"But..." the mafia prince tried to protest.  
"Come on, Woo Bin sunbae! It will be fun, I promise."  
"Whatever you say Ga Eul yang." he yielded with a smile.  
Right at that moment, Yi Jeong stood up. "Good then. If we're done I'll drive Ga Eul yang back home. Tomorrow it will be a busy day and we all need to sleep."

A few minutes later, Ji Hoo and Woo Bin were alone in the lounge, again. The surprised and alarmed look in Ga Eul's eyes when Yi Jeong dragged her away, hadn't gone unnoticed by either of them.  
"Something is happening, you know." Ji Hoo took the last sip from his glass. "Did you notice their awkwardness when they arrived?"  
"Well, I know for a fact they haven't met in the last few days, after he told us they were going to date. And Yi Jeong sat far from her tonight."  
"And he tried to not look at her for the whole evening."  
"Except when he was eating her alive with some glances."  
"Not to talk about your luck."  
"My luck?" Woo Bin looked at him confused.  
"If looks could kill, you would be dead now. Didn't you notice the daggers in his eyes when you smiled at Ga Eul yang?"  
"Well, well, well... jealous much, uh?" Woo Bin sighed looking at the roof. "Maybe I should ask Geum Jan Di if she has some other friends to introduce to us. Seems like F4 are mesmerized by commoners."  
Ji Hoo smiled but didn't answer.  
"Hey bro. Do you think Yi Jeong is seriously in love with Ga Eul yang?"  
The white knight looked at Woo Bin, no more smiling. "I think it will happen very soon, if it didn't yet. But I'm worried. I don't know what could happen. He's in denial. And you know what it means."  
The mafia prince nodded, worried as well.

When Yi Jeong was feeling like that... he was dangerous. Very dangerous.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 12**

"So what was with all the dragging back there? Are you in hurry to get rid of me?" It seemed like when a girl was with an F4 she was automatically reduced to a doll to drag here and there. Jun Pyo was doing that everytime with Jan Di, Yi Jeong had that bad habit with her and she was sure Woo Bin and Ji Hoo weren't an exception too. Sure, Woo Bin would have done it while winking and blabbering some of his english sentences and Ji Hoo would have done it gently, but the result would have been the same.  
That's what you get when you grow up like a spoiled brat, Ga Eul thought sighing. Just for a second the image of Jun Pyo and Jan Di crossed her mind and a subtle voice in her head whispered her that he was dragging her friend around exactly in the same way Yi Jeong was doing with her. And Jun Pyo was in love with Jan Di. Ga Eul banished that thought from her mind before even ending it. She didn't want to think or to hope, not after that disastrous night. She still wasn't sure she had forgiven him.

On the other hand, Yi Jeong was thinking hard since ever he had went to retrieve her. He still didn't know where he found the strenght to not kiss her when she had fallen in his arms, but he knew that it hurt like hell. Just remembering the glowing of her eyes when she had raised her gaze was enough to give him goosebumps even now and to raise the beating of his heart.  
Honestly he couldn't stand it. He wasn't fifteen anymore, she wasn't Eun Jae and if he wanted to kiss her so badly, why the hell couldn't he just do it? He almost raped her some nights before, sure a kiss couldn't be worse than that. The worst that could happen was to be rejected, even though he was pretty sure Ga Eul wouldn't have done that. After all she liked him. She said so. So why did she resist so much the other night?  
Yi Jeong suppressed a frustratred groan. That girl was sure a strange sort of puzzle.  
"Next time I'll ask Woo Bin sunbae or Ji Hoo sunbae, if it bothers you so much." Ga Eul muttered when she heard no reply from him.  
Another thing to think about. Why was he so angry at Woo Bin? He didn't do anything, he was just being his usual self, all smiles and winks to a girl. And still seeing him smiling at her... and let's talk about that "Whatever you say Ga Eul yang." ? Where did that sudden intimacy come from? _He_ was the one that always was with Ga Eul, _he_ was the one who drove her, _he_ was the one who rescued her from the street, _he_ was the one who went on those fake dates and _he_ was the one who received chocolates and arms warmers! Yes, So Yi Jeong, not Song Woo Bin. His friend had no rights to smile at her. None at all.

Ga Eul sighed and gave up. Yi Jeong had been silent since that unfortunate fall near her house, and he almost never uttered a word at the meeting either. And now, he was mute as well. What was happening? Was he planning something nasty again? Wait, was he even driving her home? She suddenly turned her head to watch out of the window with a frightened look, but when she recognized the familiar streets that lead to her house, she calmed down.  
She knew they had to talk. He had asked for some time and she thought she granted him enough, so now it was her turn to get something from him. Like answers. She deserved them, right?  
"Did you go visit your father? Is he alright?" she didn't turn her head while asking this dreaded question. She didn't want to look at him because his eyes always had the power to confuse her and now she wanted to be strong and firm. She wouldn't have allowed him to escape anymore.  
Yi Jeong breathed deeply when he heard that question. There they were, he thought, the "talk" moment. He knew she wanted to know why he had suddenly went crazy that night, but what could he tell her?_ "Well, you know Ga Eul yang, it's just that I want to kiss you until you are out of breath and then keep on kissing you, I want you in my bed, I want to hear you moaning my name, I want you under me or even straddling me if you like it better, that's no problem at all, and yes, I want it many many times."_  
Yeah sure, way to go Yi Jeong. And still, he didn't know how else to explain it to her. He never had to explain those sort of things to anyone, it wasn't needed. Usually when he wanted a girl, the girl wanted him too, even more than him, it had always been that way. Until Eun Jae, who disappeared and now her.  
But with Eun Jae it had been different... he never felt that burning desire, it was more of a warm feeling in his heart knowing that she was there for him and she cared for him. She was his childhood friend and his love for her had always been the tender type. Well, more or less. After all when he had sex for the first time, it was Eun Jae's face that came to his mind. He recalled how scared he was to have thought of her in that way, it almost seemed unnatural, like he tainted her. And now Ga Eul... well, thinking of it, he wasn't afraid of tainting her, he actually wanted to, and very much. So that meant he wasn't in love with her, was it? Yi Jeong felt relieved after his perfect reasoning. Like he told himself before, it was just curiosity. Not love.  
"Yes I went. He was alright, no injuries." the answer came after a long time, just when Ga Eul was about to ask him again. Maybe he was willing to talk now, maybe he recognized he couldn't avoid it anymore.  
"Did you apologize?"  
"No."  
"Why not?"  
Yi Jeong slowed the car down and turned to look at her. She was looking outside the window, her hands on her skirt, apparently resolute in not looking at him at all. Well, two could play that game.  
"He doesn't deserve it." he answered turning his eyes back on the road.  
"You punched and kicked him. He's your father, of course you have to apologize."  
There she was, the lecture again. Yi Jeong's hands clenched the steering-wheel feeling the familiar anger rise in him.  
"He's my father just because he was in my mother's bed the night I was conceived. He's never been more than that to me."  
"Yi Jeong sunbae!"  
He grinned, knowing she was blushing right now. Embarassing her was turning out to be his favourite hobby.  
"He never did anything for me, except teaching me pottery and even that was because the So family needed a talented heir. I actually think he hates me as much as I hate him. There was never much love in my family."  
The orange Lotus stopped moving and Ga Eul realised they were now parked in front of her house.  
"Here we are Ga Eul yang. You can go home now."  
She turned to him, her cheeks still coloured with a soft pink. "Are you trying to get rid of me, sunbae?"  
"I'm trying to send you to sleep, and go to sleep myself since tomorrow we will be pretty busy."  
But it was clear she had no intention of stepping out of his car. She leaned more comfortably on the seat and folded her arms.  
"I think you're trying to run away. I gave you enough days to think about what happened, but now I want some answers."  
He looked at her, her determined gaze, that firm look in her eyes. She was serious, like a teacher waiting to hear her students admit a prank. Well, he sure wasn't a child anymore.  
"You can't always have what you want, you know?"  
"You're really the wrong person to tell me that." Ga Eul was getting angry. After all he did, after the way he behaved with her, he still didn't want to give her an explanation? Oh, but she wasn't going out of that car before hearing one, did you get it So Yi Jeong?  
He grinned again, enjoying the view of her heating up. "That just means we're different. I get what I want, you don't. Life is unfair, isn't it?"  
Her lips stretched in a thin line, much resembling the way they did when she ordered him not to drink that night. Which he didn't by the way. He had kept his promise to her, even though he didn't know why.  
"You are going to explain to me. You are going to explain every detail of that evening, you owe me!"  
"And why's that?"  
"Why?" her voice was rising, as well as her temper. Was he playing stupid or what?  
"You tried to rape me! That's why!"  
He snorted, waving his hand with nonchalance. "What a big word Ga Eul yang. I just meant to scare you, that's all."  
"You're lying and you know it." she replied, almost shaking in fury. "Still acting like a kid, aren't you? Still avoiding your responsabilities?"  
"I'm not avoiding anything!" he raised his voice as well. Like every time, she was managing to angry him. Damn that girl, why couldn't he keep his temper around her?  
"Yes you are!" she was shouting now, her eyes on fire. "Look what you did to your father! And you still won't admit you need to apologize! You could have killed him!"  
"He would have deserved it!" he shouted back, completely loosing his coolness. "He deserves to die, he deserves it since a long time! Do you know how many times my mother tried to kill herself because of him? Do you know how many times, since I was fifteen, I had to go and interrupt his nights with the other women, or my mother would have died? Do you have any idea of what it means living in the constant fear I will go home one day and someone will tell me my mother finally succeeded in committing suicide?"  
He swallowed hard, struggling to regain control but he made the mistake of looking at Ga Eul. Her eyes showed shock for his sudden outburst, but a slow comprehension was dawning in them, turning the shock into pity. He couldn't stand it.  
"Get out." he ordered.  
She didn't answer, just looking at him.  
"Get out!" he shouted.  
"No." her reply was low, but resolute.  
"Get out and go home before you regret it."  
"I can't leave you alone like this."  
He burst out of the car, going to her side and opening the door.  
"I told you to get out!" He grabbed her arms and pulled her out by force, hurling her against the car. "You have to do as I tell you, do you get it?"  
He had lowered his voice since they were now in the open, but the look in his eyes wasn't any less threatening.  
"I will always do what I think is right." she was whispering as well, staring at him but her look was quieter than his. "Yi Jeong sunbae... I will never become an obedient doll."  
"You won't, will you?" he grinded his teeth. "No you won't... You will just make me go crazy."  
He abruptly let her go, and walked to his side of the car.  
"Now go home." he told her before turning on the car once again.

Just a second later, before she could react, he was already driving away leaving her there.

Ga Eul opened her door, kicking her shoes off, and leaning on the wall, her eyes closed. She really didn't know what to think, his confession had caught her completely by surprise.  
She was there, trying to collect her ideas, when she heard a loud knock at the door.  
The spyhole told her it was Yi Jeong and she opened the door, suddenly worried.  
"Yi Jeong sunbae, what hap..."  
And his mouth came down crushing on hers, while he pushed her back in her apartment, shutting the door behind him.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 13**

Yi Jeong cupped her face, pressing his lips on hers, and pushing her to the wall. She did her best to keep her mouth shut, but he didn't try to deepen the kiss, just savouring her lips and completely ignoring her protests, knowing she was trapped between himself and the wall.  
He was feeling like eating her alive. Her lips were everything he ever dreamt of and something more, soft and sweet and warm.  
But he wanted more. He wanted the whole package, and then he would have moved to her neck, breathing in her hair and then he would have unbottoned her blouse and then...  
With a groan he tightened his grip on her, deciding he couldn't stand anymore to not fully taste her and he slightly opened his mouth, ready to use his lips to open hers.  
When Ga Eul felt the light brushing of his tongue against her lips, her already spinning head threatened to black out but when she realised that something really hard was pressing on her body, the blood rushing to her cheeks finally managed to give her the strenght needed to push him aside and swiftly move away a few steps, her eyes wide open.  
"What was that?" she asked in shock. She didn't even know what she was talking about. The kiss or that "something else" ?  
"Something I should have done quite some time ago." His dark gaze was on her, and Ga Eul stepped automatically back when she saw him walking to her, her head still spinning.  
"And what are you doing back here? Didn't you just go away?" She had to keep him talking, she had to come back to her senses. She had to stop seeing all those colored dots or she would have fallen on the floor!  
"I changed my mind."  
He didn't know why he had come back. Before he knew what he was doing, he had found himself parked outside her house again, still so angry he wanted to hit something, to scream, to break everything in sight. And he wanted _her_, more than anything. He wanted to rip that skirt off, to shred her blouse, to bite and mark her and drown in her body, breathing in her moans.  
Nobody but his F4 friends knew about his family and that was only because when they were sixteen Jun Pyo had been with him when he received one of his mother's calls and Yi Jeong hadn't been able to dodge his questions. Or his punches.  
And now he had blabbed it all to Ga Eul, just out of anger.  
It was her fault again, how could she have that much power over him? He needed to break free of her, he needed to break the spell to recover his sanity. And he only knew one way of doing it.  
Masking his inner turmoil Yi Jeong decided to take the easy way. Dragging her around was fun, but for once, he wanted her to come to him. He wanted to see the look in her eyes at the end of their little cat-mouse game.  
He kept walking slowly, like he had all the time in the world, until he reached the living room. The house was of course really small compared to what he was used to, that living room was not even big enough to be his bedroom but the couch in there seemed really comfortable. He entered the living room leaving a very surprised Ga Eul behind and he just sat on the couch, crossing his legs and looking totally relaxed.  
Not knowing what to think, but feeling more clear headed now that he wasn't so close to her anymore, she entered the room staying near the wall and looking at him from there. He really was in her house, as handsome as usual and it really didn't seem like he just confessed such a messed up family. How could he be so quiet after what he had just done?  
He burst into her house and then he kissed her and now he was sitting down, like he was ready to watch TV. He just kissed her! And she felt how much aroused he was! Just the thought was enough to bring a deep pink to her cheeks again. And now he was there, looking so unaffected when she was so tensed?  
Angry again, she marched towards him and stopped just in front of the potter, but before she could say even one word he made his move, quickly grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards him.  
With a stifled cry of alarm, she landed in his arms and the second after she was laying on the couch, his body pressed on hers and his face so near that she could feel him breathing. And yes, that rigid bulge was still there.  
"And now you're exactly where I wanted you." Yi Jeong whispered, staring at her intently. Yes, he was right. The look in her eyes was priceless.  
"You tricked me!" She cried outraged.  
"Of course I did." He chuckled. "You should know that by now. I'm not afraid of tricks."  
"And now?" She challenged him. "Shall we make a remake of that night?"  
"Nothing happened that night." He whispered lowering his face. "Maybe now..."  
Ah no, not this time, So Yi Jeong! The anger for being tricked swept away the embarassment and the next words came naturally on her lips.  
"Will it always be like this?" She never left his eyes, a hint of disdain in her voice. "Will you always open up to me, just to make me pay for it afterwards?"  
"What are you talking about?" He stopped moving, apalled by her words. That really looked like a remake to him. That night too she had stopped him from kissing her just by talking. Why was he always listening? He should just ignore her and do what he wanted. He never could though, and he couldn't understand the reason.  
"That night you hugged me after beating your father, you showed me your weakness. Tonight you told me about your family. And after both times... well, look at us."  
He abruptly let her go, his heart beating faster and it wasn't lust this time. It was fear. That amazing girl really knew where to hit.  
And she wasn't done yet. "You're trying to put me back in my place, you need to have power over me. But you can trust me. You should know that."  
Yi Jeong sprang up, followed by her, his fists clenched. "You're talking nonsense."  
"Sunbae, you know I'm not. You're just withdrawing behind your self-built walls."  
Slowly, watching his every move, she stepped back, moving away from him.  
"But this time I won't let you run away."  
What was she talking about? He moved towards her, watching her as she backed off step by step.  
When he realised what she was going to do, his eyes opened wide. She couldn't be so bold.  
He bolted to the door of the apartment but she was already there, locking it and hiding the keys in the small pocket of her coat. It was her turn to trick him.  
"I'm gonna have my answers tonight."

"Ga Eul yang, have you lost your mind?" He was astonished. She just locked them in her house with nobody but them, nobody to rescue her, after he burst in and kissed her and after he tricked her on that couch. She knew what he wanted. Could that possibly be an invite?  
"I'm very clear headed. You're not going to escape, not this time." Her heart was actually pumping like crazy. She didn't know what got into her, but she knew she couldn't let him go away again. She was tired of that hide and seek game, she was tired to be afraid of talking to him because he could burst up any moment. She knew this was the turning point: if he really wanted to hurt her, this was his chance even more than in his workshop. But if he didn't, then it could be a new beginning, they could talk and he could finally start trusting her.  
"Open that door." He ordered with a stern look.  
"Yi Jeong sunbae." She looked at him straight in the eyes and, surprisingly, she smiled. "Why don't you go back to my couch? You're not going anywhere for a while. I'll go make some tea."  
Without even a look in his direction, she moved to the kitchen, but as soon as she passed near him, Yi Jeong grabbed her arm, stopping her.  
"Do you know I could get that key if I wanted to, right?"  
He wasn't looking at her because he knew that just a glance would have been enough to make him loose control and force her to the couch or the bedroom. For now he wanted to see which game she wanted to play.  
"But you won't." She ended the sentence for him. "Because you want to stay here and see what happens next."  
She wasn't looking at him either, it was taking all her strenght to keep her coolness and look strong.  
"I want to see what happens too." She said before moving past him, completely missing the shocked look in his face at those words.  
What did she just say? She disappeared behind a door and he walked back to the living room forcing himself not to go after her, to gather her in his arms again and finally give in to his desires. He was locked in after all, her parents were not coming home and they had all the time. That was even better than that night in his workshop, she was actually hinting she could agree to sleep with him.  
He sat down on the couch again, trying to slow down the beating of his heart. That evening was really promising... he already managed to kiss her, and he felt her soft body under his again, and now he actually had the possibility of hitting home. Yes, an exciting evening.  
And then he could finally forget her and move on.

Some minutes later a very nervous Ga Eul showed up again, holding a tea-tray and trying to mask her nerves. If she really wanted to talk with him, she had to be strong. The moment she showed any weakness, he would have taken advantage of it and she didn't know if she would have been able to stop him then. Damn, she didn't even know if she would have _wanted_ to stop him then. As much as all his acts had been forceful until now, she couldn't deny they had triggered something inside her and she couldn't trust herself to abide to her principles right now.  
Hardening her features, she deeply breathed in and walked towards him.  
It was like a game, she told herself, and she didn't want to loose it.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 14**

"Aren't you afraid of being alone with me?" Yi Jeong asked.  
He was sipping a cup of tea, comfortably sat down on her couch and he was looking at her, with an amused smile.  
But he wasn't amused, at all. He was trying hard to understand if she was really that bold or if it was a pretence and at the same time he was trying to decide what to do.  
Part of him just wanted to put that damn cup down and resume what they had been doing on the couch, but part of him was actually curious about her next move.  
She locked herself in with the lion, wasn't she scared? Was she really sure he wasn't going to take advantage of the situation? Did she trust him that much? Or did she secretely want him to take control and finish what they had started? These questions were driving him crazy. With any other girl, he wouldn't have had any doubt just taking what was being offered to him, but this was Ga Eul yang and he wanted to understand before making his move.  
Actually it was pissing him off, why the hell was he treating her differently from his other girls? She wasn't anybody special after all.  
"Would you believe me if I say I'm not?" she replied, the cup near her lips. She was trying her best to put up a brave face, to make him believe she was really calm, meanwhile thanking heavens he wasn't able to hear the beating of her heart.  
He grinned, carefully putting the cup back on the tea-tray.  
"After what happened between us you would be really stupid of not being afraid and you're smarter than that. So..." he crossed his legs, leaning back on the couch. "The answer is yes, you're scared. But you did it anyway. Are you brave or foolish, Ga Eul yang?"  
She lifted her eyes, putting down the cup as well. Truth time, she told herself.  
"Well," she answered glaring at him. "I guess we will know that only at the end. If I was brave or foolish."  
"And what if you are wrong? Are you ready to face the consequences of your actions? Are you really ready to play this game?" He wanted to hear her answer, he wanted to hear her condemn herself with her own words. Was he trying to justify what he wanted to do by saying she had a chance to withdraw and she wasted it? Was he seeking for absolution even before committing the sin?  
Yi Jeong glared back, locking his eyes in hers. The grin, the smile were gone, now he was very serious. "If you aren't, I suggest you to open that door now, and hope I will go away."  
_Here Ga Eul yang, last chance. Pick it now, or accept the outcome, whatever it will be._  
She could feel the tension rising, she knew she was playing with fire. One mistake and she would have ended up burnt. But it was too late to withdraw, her pride would have never allowed that. Most of all she wanted to know, she needed to. This was her chance and she couldn't let it slip away.  
And so, Ga Eul looked back at him, with that steel glance Jan Di knew so well and chose her path. "Yes, I'm ready."  
It was a deal then. Their new round was starting and there was no backing off now.

She was sitting on an armchair near his couch, needing to stay far from him if she wanted to keep her mind clear. Strange enough, now that she had refused her last chance of retiring, she was feeling better. The die was cast and all that was left was playing that destructive game.  
"From now on, no lies. I'll answer your questions truthfully and you will do the same. Do you agree sunbae?"  
"I can't promise to answer all the questions. Everybody has secrets." Yi Jeong wasn't smiling anymore. Somehow he felt they had gone past the teasing phase and things were serious now. One wrong move from her and he would have found her bedroom and made sure she payed the stake. As for him... he was the one at stake in that game. His heart, his feelings. He knew that perfectly well, he knew what she wanted.  
"Fair enough. As long as you don't lie."  
"I won't lie. But perhaps you won't like what I will tell you."  
"I'll take that risk." It sure wasn't the biggest one she was taking that night.  
"So... what do you want to know Ga Eul yang?"  
There they were, one on the couch and the other on the armchair, their eyes never leaving each other, daring the other one to avert the gaze.  
No smiles, no jokes, just their bare thoughts and that subtle tension crackling in the air.  
She breathed in, trying to relax her clenched hand and asked the first question.  
"That night, the promise you made me. Did you keep it?"  
"Yes." he answered, his charcoal black eyes fixed on hers. His voice was neutral, just like Ga Eul's. "I stayed in my workshop, I didn't look for a woman and I didn't drink."  
"Why did you keep it?" A strange feeling of relief filled her at the thought he had actually done as she asked.  
"Because I keep my promises. That applies to threats too of course." He had to add that. She needed to understand what kind of person he was. "When I promise something is because I mean it."  
She nodded and she poured them another cup of tea. She didn't know about him, but her throat was dry and she needed to drink something. He took the cup too, without a word.  
"And what did you think about that night?"  
"That's a big question Ga Eul yang." One sip of tea and he continued, staring at her. "Most of all, I thought I had made a mistake letting you go. I should have kept you there with me."  
She froze but she didn't look away. She was determined in not loosing that battle. "Would you have really forced yourself on me?"  
"You would have yielded. There would have been no need to force you."  
"Confident much?" Ga Eul arched her eyebrows, feeling the blood rushing to her cheeks. Damn it, why did she always have to blush?  
"Yes." He still wasn't smiling, nor his tone was mocking. He was merely stating a fact.  
Ga Eul swallowed another sip of tea, trying to mask her uneasiness after hearing his simple confidence... and the thought of her actually surrendering to him in his bed, made her face flare up. Keep on Ga Eul, she thought, you have to keep on talking.  
"You wanted me to beg you to stop, didn't you?"  
"Yes. It was something every normal girl would have done... but you didn't. That pissed me off."  
"That I'm not a normal girl?"  
"You confuse me."  
A thick silence followed that confession, but then he continued. If he was to be honest, he intended to be so till the end. "The girls I usually play with are all the same. I know what they want and they know what I can give them. But I can't figure you out. What do you want from me, Ga Eul yang?"  
That was a big question too. One she asked herself many times, in different situations... but even when he was being a total jerk, the answer had never changed. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad knowing the tight hold he had on her heart.  
"I don't want anything from you. I already told you, I don't care about your wealth or your name." She was almost moved by what was happening. Yes, he had said something really embarassing just before, but it was her who asked for the truth. And were they really talking? Was he really being sincere with her, perhaps for the first time?  
It was her turn now... truth for truth. "I don't want anything _from_ you, but I want something _for_ you, sunbae."  
He stared at her with an interrogative look and she continued. "I want you to find yourself. I want you to stop running and face your life... and most of all, I want you to be happy."  
"Why?"  
She tenderly smiled and he suddenly felt unsure on his couch. Why did he have to ask such a question? It was dangerous and he knew it.  
"Yi Jeong sunbae don't you know already? I want you to be happy because I care about you. Because I like you. And when you love someone, you always want that person to be happy. Isn't it obvious?"

And Yi Jeong suddenly felt again that warm feeling she was always talking about since he knew her. Like a soft blanket, her words and her smile surrounded him in a light caress, slipping in his mind and in his heart.  
Now if only the world outside could stop moving and forget So Yi Jeong very existence so he could just live in that moment and truly believe her words...


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

**Chapter 15**

"I guess it should be obvious." Yi Jeong managed to say after sometime. Keeping his voice steady was proving to be a challenge in itself, after what she told him. He never wanted to cry so much in his life but he would have done it over his dead body. Ga Eul yang couldn't see him cry like a heart-broken child. And still her words were twisting inside, showing him that world he tried to ignore so much.  
"But I don't get it. You're not attracted by my social status and what comes with it, so why do you even like me?"  
He really was a masochist. He kept asking her questions that would only hurt him, but he needed to know. That feeling, the warmth... it hurt. It was like showing him an impossible future: he knew he had to reject it if he didn't want to suffer like he had with Eun Jae, like Jun Pyo was suffering now, and still he couldn't bring himself to stop wanting more.  
Ga Eul smiled again and for the first time, she averted her gaze. A light pink colour was rising on her cheeks again, and he knew it was out of shyness. He was startled finding himself thinking she was absolutely adorable when she was so shy. The bold Ga Eul was driving him crazy, but the shy Ga Eul was the most tender and loving thing he ever saw.  
"I like it when you're gentle and caring." she answered, but her voice was low, even dreamy. Like she was telling a fairytale. "I like it when you help me, even when you scold me. I like your loyalty, the way you got angry when you found out of Jan Di and Ji Hoo sunbae. I like that even if you were so angry, you still tried to talk him out of driving that race, because you were afraid for him. I like that even if your group of friends have always been closed to others, you still let Jan Di in and you defended her when Jun Pyo sunbae left her in Macau. Woo Bin sunbae told me what happened. I like it when you smile and when you laugh, like you did on our dinner. I like the gentle look in your eyes. I like the firm and yet delicate grip of your hands on mine when we were on the ice rink. I like it when you do pottery because you seem in peace with everything. When I watched you work that time, it was the first time I saw your soul flight high, free and beautiful."  
"That's the key word, Ga Eul yang. Free." He had to stop her. She was killing him with every word, seeing himself through her eyes was more than he could stand. It was easier when he dazzled people with his money, or his name. It was safe, no feelings involved, just fun.  
Yi Jeong always tried to stay away from Ga Eul because he istinctively knew she was dangerous. She wasn't a girl he could dazzle; she had made it clear that first time, when she stormed out of his workshop. She wasn't a girl he could deceive either. She always saw through the mask, like she knew him since forever. And the pain he felt in his heart every time she looked at him with those trustful eyes, wasn't bearable anymore. He had to get rid of it, of her, before it was too late.

"I'm not free. I will never be free. My life is already settled before me and there's nothing I can do about it."  
"You mean there's nothing you _want_ to do about it." she dared to reply, and when his gaze suddenly flashed in anger, she just arched her eyebrow. "No lies, remember?"  
Ga Eul saw the hardening of his features and suppressed a shiver, waiting for the already familiar outburst. But she had to laid the cards out in the open. She knew she was walking on a thin line, she knew that one wrong word would have condemned her, but she had to try nonetheless.  
With a remarkable effort, Yi Jeong managed to control himself, admiring her courage. She certainly knew it would take only a little sparkle to make the fire burst and still she was pressing her luck, betting everything on his self control.  
"All right. Let's say I don't want to change anything. Why should I? I have luxuries, I have money, I have entertainment, I have the museum. Why should I throw it all away?"  
"Have you happiness too, sunbae?"  
Yi Jeong rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Don't even start with that, Ga Eul yang. I know all about the "money don't give you happiness" stuff."  
"Just look at me." she insisted, this time more firmly. "I'm not rich. My family works hard everyday and me too. And yet, when we have dinner every evening, I feel happy. I have my family, I have my friends, I have my life in my hands and I'm ready to build it, brick after brick. I'm free. Can you say the same?"  
"And what do you want me to do then?" his bitter laughter was painful to hear. "Leave everything behind? Forget my heirloom and my duty and just abandon my family like my brother did?"  
"Your brother?" that surprised her, she never knew Yi Jeong had a brother.  
"Yes, my brother. My older brother, the first heir of the So family. He just left us when he realised I was a better potter than him, and he was disinherited. Nobody is allowed to even think about him! Do you want that kind of future for me too?"  
"I'm sorry, sunbae." She quietly said. "I didn't know about it. How is your brother now?"  
"I don't know." Yi Jeong clenched his fists. Thinking about him was as painful as ever. He wondered if the pain was bounded to stay there forever. "He had some savings of his own, so he managed to survive and to open a cafeteria. Some friends helped him too."  
"And you never heard about him again?"  
"Very rarely. I told you, we're not allowed to."  
"And who ordered this?" her voice was full of outrage. How could a family cast out a member just like that?  
"My grandfather."  
Oh. That grandfather Woo Bin talked about. Seemed like he was the real ruler of the So family, and after seeing Yi Jeong's father, Ga Eul could understand the reason.  
"This must be very sad for you. Sunbae, were you close to your brother?"

Yi Jeong stood up from that damn couch and went to the window, looking the dark neighborhood around. It was past midnight and nobody was on the streets anymore.  
Ga Eul quietly waited on her armchair, until he found the voice and the control to answer her.  
"My brother was... gentle. I never heard him raise his voice, or say a harsh word to anybody. Our staff loved him because he always smiled to them. My father taught pottery to both of us, but when it became clear I was the most talented one, Il Hyun was set aside and ignored. My grandfather decided he could have still been useful to the So family and started planning his wedding. That was the only time I ever saw Il Hyun loose control. They had a fight and my brother decided to leave us. He was disinherited short after and we were told to forget he ever existed."  
He didn't tell her about the ache in being left alone, the pain in knowing that their mother responsibility was now only his, the pressure in becoming the So heir. His life until that moment had been relatively free, he was just a second son, and all of a sudden he had become the heir. Like in a royal family. And just like that, a full load of responsability had been handed to him, together with the feeling his life belonged to the family from that moment on.  
"And you just did it?" There wasn't any judgement in Ga Eul's voice, and for that he was grateful.  
"You don't know my grandfather. I pray you never will."  
"Worse than Madam Kang?"  
"Like her, more or less. They are used to get what they want, no matter what."  
Silence fell again, but Ga Eul had a last question to ask, something he needed to hear, something he needed to stop running from.  
"Yi Jeong sunbae. Is your brother happy now?"  
Yi Jeong closed his eyes, his heart now full of a bitter feeling. Yes, his brother was happy now. He had seen him in his shop, and he never saw him more relaxed than then. It was unfair. Il Hyun had no right to be happy, he had abandoned him. How could he dare to smile so much while Yi Jeong's life was so miserable?  
Now that his hand and therefore his talent was gone forever, all that was left for him was follow in his brother's footsteps and wait to be married off. He wasn't useful anymore. Like Il Hyun had been. But unlike his brother, Yi Jeong couldn't run away, there was nobody else. He couldn't do anything about it.  
Ga Eul yang was wrong. She could think that people had the right to choose their own path because she was a commoner and she had no responsabilities, except taking care of herself. He had been right from the start, she was showing him something impossible, something that could have never been.  
How he wished that dream could become true.  
But as the realisation it was nothing but a fantasy rose again in his heart, Yi Jeong felt the bitter taste of frustration in his mouth and turned to glare at her with a dark look.  
She was torturing him. He couldn't take it anymore, it hurt too much.  
And his defense kicked in again.

When he turned around, Ga Eul istantly knew she had pushed too hard.  
Yi Jeong looked at her with an icy glare and bent forward, leaning against the back of the couch.  
"The game is over, Ga Eul yang."


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

_Author's note: I'm sorry, I'm very very busy lately and I'm not able to reply to the reviews. I'll try to update at least once a week anyway. Thank you all for reading and for your support!_

**Chapter 16**

It had started raining outside, thick heavy drops that were falling on the ground with a loud noise. A lightning lit up the black sky through the curtain and a thunder suddenly roared near them. Ga Eul paled and swallowed a cry, springing up from the armchair and taking the tea-tray in her slightly shaking hands.  
"I guess this was too hard for you to talk about." she told him, her back turned while she was heading to the kitchen "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."  
Every step, every movement, she felt his eyes never abandon her frame, causing her goosebumps all over. She knew that thin line had now been crossed but she was ready.  
Yi Jeong was watching her from the door, following her every action, slightly amused by the fact that she was apparently more scared of the storm outside than of him. He already saw her at work in the porridge shop, but looking at her now, in her own house, was a completely different thing. She lived here, and everything in the small portion of house he had seen reminded him of her, from the silly stickies on the fridge to the several pictures that were hanging on her living room's walls. There was a warmth in that house that lacked his own or even his friends'. Neither of them had a happy family history and their houses were cold and impersonal, but Ga Eul's home, as well as Jan Di's room were filled with memories, like the very walls were breathing with the family that lived within them.  
And he had to get out, as soon as possible, he told himself when the light went off for a second, coming back soon after. He had to stop imagining himself in that house, in her bedroom, with the lights turned off and the storm chant outside the window.  
"Give me the keys, Ga Eul yang."  
She was near the sink, drying the tea cups after washing them, and she didn't turn to him while shacking her head in denial.  
"Open that door. You don't want me here any longer, trust me."  
"We're not over yet." she still wasn't turning and Yi Jeong walked to her, his lips pressed in a thin line.  
Her choice, he told himself. He had given her a lot of chances to get rid of him and still she didn't want. Now she was going to pay the price for her stubborness. Did she really think she could keep him on lash?  
Putting his hands on either side of the sink, he enclosed Ga Eul in his embrace, breathing once more the cherry scent of her hair. He missed it.  
"Do you want me to stay then?" he whispered in her ear, moving her hair on one side of her neck, so to free the other side. He set his head on her shoulder and noticed she had closed her eyes.  
"It's not what you think." she replied, her voice really low, in an effort to keep it steady.  
Ga Eul was trembling, unable to stop. She had made a big mistake allowing him to be so close to her and now she was fully paying for it. He wasn't touching her, save for his head on her shoulder, but the proximity of his body, the knowledge he was just behind her, was enough to take her breath away. She never felt so much in danger, not even in his workshop: that night he had been angry and his assault had been the result of his wrath. She knew that if she had allowed him enough time to think, he would have withdrawn.  
This time though he was calm. He was sure of what he was doing, of what he wanted. And she had to admit it was her fault too. She had made a bet with him and apparently she just lost it.  
"It isn't?" he insinuated slightly turning his head. "Are you sure?"  
When she felt his lips lightly brushing her neck, her eyes burst open and she turned in his arms, breaking free from him.  
"Don't touch me!" she cried, stepping away.  
Yi Jeong didn't move, just looking at her. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were that soft pink colour he knew so well. Her neck had been soft under his lips and he wanted to taste more of it.  
"I asked you if you were ready to play this game, do you remember?"  
"I told you we're not over yet."  
"Yes we are, Ga Eul yang." he stated, his eyes in hers. "And you lost. Now come here and pay the stake. You knew this was coming."  
Another thunder exploded and she gripped the table she was near to, to suffocate her cry. She always hated storms.  
"No." she shook her head.  
"Shall I come to you then?" Yi Jeong approached her, but she moved, keeping the kitchen table between him and her. That just made him grin.  
"I'm faster than you Ga Eul yang. Do you really want to do this? I don't think you'll like it when I catch you."  
"You can't always behave like this." she told him, keeping moving to stay away from him. "You can't get physical everytime you are angry."  
"I'm not angry. My mind is very clear actually." his dark gaze never left her, while he was walking around the table.  
"Then why are you doing this? Do you think you will be happier after?"  
"I want you." he stated, never smiling once. His eyes were glowing with desire. "That's reason enough for me."  
"You can't want me. You never did! What kind of sick game is this?"  
And the light went off again, just when another thunder roared outside. Ga Eul shrieked in the dark, feeling a pair of strong arms suddenly grab her and Yi Jeong lips back on hers again. She struggled in his arms, but cried in pain when he grabbed a handful of her hair, heavily panting.  
"I wish it was a game." he whispered in the darkness, releasing her lips. "I really wish it was just a game. It would be much easier."  
"It's that stupid bet we made, isn't it? You're still trying to win it, to show me I'm like all those girls who just want to sleep with you. Have the guts to tell me!" Ga Eul realised she had completely lost control, but she didn't mind, not anymore. She was past being angry or scared, she didn't even know what she was feeling. She just wanted to hear the truth, once and for all, to end that misery.  
"You're nothing like them!" he shouted in her face, still grasping her hair painfully. "Is this what you want to hear? You aren't like any girl I ever met!"  
He buried his face in her neck, kissing it hungrily. "You're driving me crazy, I swear."  
"Stop it!" she shouted back, struggling. "You can't do this!"  
He lifted his gaze and suddenly a lightning lit the darkness, illuminating her face, her bright eyes, the tears in there. He froze for a second, then he abruptly let her go.  
"Damn it!" he shouted, kicking a chair with fury.  
She just stood there, shocked and unable to move or to say anything.  
"What have you done to me?" He kept shouting, echoing the thunderstorm. "I can't stay with you and I can't stay without you. What kind of curse is this?"  
Just a few steps and he was back on her, roughly cupping her face to fiercely kiss her again. "I can't be with you. Do you get this? Do you?" he told her, his voice so full of pain she couldn't stand it.  
"No, I don't!" she screamed, finding her voice again. "Why can't you? Do you want to, or do you not? It's all you have to know!"  
"It isn't that simple! My life isn't simple! And I can't afford to fall for you now. I can't!"  
She tried to say something, but his lips swallowed her words again. She wasn't struggling anymore, just undergoing his assaults, feeling the pain, the despair in each one of them.  
"Why not... tell me why not, Yi Jeong..." she whispered as soon as she was free again. Aware that his name had slipped for the first time without any title, she felt her face flare up, glad that he couldn't see it.  
As soon as he heard his name on her lips, his heart painfully twisted once more. He hugged her tightly, just wanting to feel her against him.  
"Because I can't afford to have you and then loose you because of my family." the words escaped his lips without control. "Because I can't bear this feeling, knowing it won't last. Because you're so deeply in me that when you'll leave me, I won't be able to take it. It will break me. _You_ will break me."

The light finally came back, and when he realised what he had said and done, Yi Jeong let Ga Eul go, a horrified expression on his face.  
He stormed out of the kitchen, leaving her there and she heard him rummaging the pockets of her coat.  
"Where are they? Give me those damn keys!" he screamed, hitting the wall.  
She reached him, shaking and with tears in her eyes after what he told her, and he grabbed her arms, a desperate expression in his eyes.  
"Open that door. Let me go!"  
"Tell me you don't like me." she whispered, staring at him. "Look at me and tell me you don't love me."  
"You don't know what you're saying. Open the door or I'll knock it down!"  
"Tell me you don't love me and I'll open it!" she cried, never leaving his eyes.  
Yi Jeong opened his mouth to say the words that would have freed him, but nothing came out. He stayed there, chained to her eyes, trying to utter something, anything and then his heart threatened to break down, when he saw her coming near him. Her hands touched his cheeks, his forehead, brushed his hair, slid to his neck and settled on his shoulders.  
For the first time in her life, Ga Eul shut down her mind who kept telling her how this was dangerous for her, even for them and went with the flow, closing her eyes and sofly touching his lips with hers.  
With a low groan he embraced her, wishing that moment would last forever, wishing he could stay in her arms for the rest of his existence.  
"Don't cry." he heard her whisper on his mouth and only then he realised she was gently stroking his cheek, following a tear that had escaped his eyes.  
Unable to say anything, he just stared at her and then he slowly bent down to kiss her again.  
It was different this time. She caressed his mouth with hers, and when he parted his lips she followed him. He felt her stiffen in his arms when their tongues finally met, but soon after, her arms tightened their grip on his shoulders and the moan she released destroyed his self control.  
Yi Jeong lifted her against the wall and when he felt her legs lace up on his waist he let out a groan pressing his hips against hers, feeling her breaking the kiss and hiding her face in his neck. He let her down, leaning his forehead against her, trying to catch his breath and some of his senses, but then she slipped her hand in his and looked at him with her bright eyes.  
There was no fear in them, no doubt, but an emotion so deep and pure, he felt his legs shaking.  
"Come with me." she whispered, leading him through the corridor.  
"Ga Eul..." he stopped after some steps, but she reached him and lightly kissed him again, while holding his hands.  
"Just come." she repeated.

And Yi Jeong surrendering to his fate, followed her into her bedroom, closing the door behind them.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Alternate Universe starting from episode 18 when Ga Eul asks Yi Jeong out for a date.

_Author's note: I'm sorry, I'm very very busy lately and I'm not able to reply to the reviews. I'll try to update at least once a week anyway. Thank you all for reading and for your support!_****

Chapter 17

Her room was just like her, he thought looking at the ceiling. The walls were painted in a soft cream colour and several pictures were hanging, pictures he knew she had personally taken, like those of New Caledonia. The furniture was light brown, the little lamp on her bedside table was radiating a soft golden light and although some of her clothes were scattered around on the chairs, the room was tidy and neat.  
Her bed wasn't large enough for both of them, but she was in his arms and the feeling was just perfect.  
She was resting her head against his shoulder, her hand tracing invisible signs on his shirt, while Yi Jeong was just holding her against him, lightly stroking her arms, up and down.  
The regular sound of the rain outside was almost a lullaby but he silently enjoyed the thunders because Ga Eul would shiver every time, looking at him for comfort.  
"Are you disappointed?" he asked, slightly bending his head to look at her.  
She shook her head, and raised her gaze. Even in the semi darkness her eyes were shining like stars and Yi Jeong wondered how did he manage to resist for so long before capitulate.  
"Maybe it's better this way. Things were going too fast, weren't they?"  
The look in his face perfectly expressed how he was feeling and she chuckled, while her fingers slowly ascended from his chest to his neck, light as a feather. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling and a strange sound escaped his throat, making Ga Eul look at him with amusement.  
"Sunbae, are you purring?"  
"I'm not!" he protested, outraged. "I'm not a cat!"  
"You sure seemed one just before."  
He snorted, but couldn't resist to kiss her forehead, making her settle on his shoulder again. "Let me preserve some dignity, woman."  
Ga Eul chuckled again and she resumed her teasing on his chest. "You just have to pray that Woo Bin sunbae never finds out that you..."  
She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks and it was Yi Jeong turn to chuckle. "You can't even say that. Where did all your boldness go, my little country bumpkin?"  
"Hey, it's the first time I ever did something like this! I'm entitled to some awkwardness."  
He kissed her again, holding her tighter in his arms. He never felt so in peace in his entire life.  
"I really hope it was the first time. And it's not that I forgot to bring them... they are in the car."  
"Oh? I thought most guys kept them in their wallets."  
"I never did. I may be a Casanova, but I have manners. And besides you never have to keep them near your body. The heat damages them."  
"Thank you." she raised her hand, mimicing a stop. Her cheeks were on flame. "But I don't need such information."  
He just chuckled again.

"Sunbae, what do we do now?" she asked after some minutes. She didn't want to but hiding was useless, especially now.  
"I thought we were past the "sunbae" stage." he was looking at the ceiling again, and although his hands were still stroking her, Ga Eul could feel he was tensed now.  
"I suppose it's just a habit... you've always been Yi Jeong sunbae for me. Should I call you oppa then?" she teased him and she was rewarded with a small smile, while he returned his gaze on her.  
"My name is all right thank you. But I guess you will always be Ga Eul yang for me too... it's just the way I think of you."  
His hand went to her chin, raising her face towards his own, as Yi Jeong bent down to kiss her. Just a light touch at first, it quickly deepened into a searing kiss that lead him to roll on the bed, just above her. Her question had awakened his fears again and he needed to feel her, to make sure this wasn't just a dream.  
She was still clothed because after discovering they could not do anything, she had worn her night gown, too shy to stay in just her underwear and he had had no choice but to put one of her father's singlets on. Not that it did really matter, he found himself thinking. He was happy just holding her, she could have worn a wetsuit for all he cared.  
Or maybe not, he considered, feeling her skin under his fingers again. No, definitely not.  
She moaned when he lowered to kiss her neck again and gasped as his hands hungrily grasped the end of her night gown to pull it up.  
"Sunbae..." she tried but closed her eyes as his lips reached her collarbone. "Sunbae please..."  
"You know, it's not raining so heavily now." he huskily said "I could go to the car and..."  
"You're still locked in, remember?" she couldn't help moaning again, as his hand brushed her thigh, but she knew she had to stop him. They had to talk, right? She couldn't give in now...  
"You just have to tell me where the key is. I'll do the rest."  
With much regret, she cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. The firm glance in her eyes told him he had not a chance in winning that particular battle and he sighed, leaning his forehead to hers.  
"You're a cruel woman, Ga Eul yang."  
He rolled off her and settled the pillow against the wall to stay seated, pulling her in his embrace again.  
"Is it really true?" She asked, uncertain. "What you told me in the kitchen. Your feelings."  
He sighed, holding her tighter and he rested his head against hers.  
"You must be a witch, you know? I don't know what kind of spell you put on me, but I can't seem to be able to break it, no matter how hard I try."  
She didn't say anything, knowing he needed some time to collect his ideas and after a while Yi Jeong started again.

"I wanted to hurt you. I really did. You were like a white angel to me, pure and innocent and I couldn't stand it. I felt dirty when you were with me, and so angry I wanted to break everything in sight. I think I hated you with all my heart, because you were forcing me to face my failures. And when you showed up at my door asking me for a date, I thought that was the perfect chance to break you."  
Ga Eul stiffened in his arms, but as one of his hands started a light caress on her hair she slowly relaxed. That was the past she thought. Now it was the present and he was with her.  
"I wanted to rip your wings off. I wanted to see you surrender to me, to admit I was a lost cause and forget about me. And at the same time I wanted to humiliate you, to possess every single part of you, to keep you with me, trapped at my side forever. I wanted to completely break you and mark you as mine. What a paradox."  
"Do you still want that?" she asked in a whisper.  
"I don't know." his answer was hesitant, but his arms stiffened around her, like he was trying to prevent her from moving away. "This feelings... I don't know how to face them. I never felt like this. Like I told you, I can't stay with you, but I can't stay without you either. Sometimes I think I want you because I know I can't have you. I know you are forever out of my reach, forever denied to one of my kind. Your heart, your smile, your soul, your future, are all forbidden to me."  
"That's strange, because I used to think you were the one out of my league." Ga Eul slightly shook her head, feeling her heart breaking piece by piece. She knew where this was leading and she didn't want all to end like that. "But look where we are now. And you didn't force me this time. I'm the one who locked you in, I'm the one who kissed you. I'm not out of your reach, I never was."  
"And what will happen when my fiancee will come into the picture?" The blunt question that was in both of their minds since the beginning finally came out.  
"I don't know." she answered, her voice slightly shaking. "But I'm not ready to just give up without a fight, not now that I know you feel for me as I feel for you."  
"This is our difference, I guess. This is why I can't afford to fall for you. If I do, I'll be doomed for the rest of my life."  
He found the strenght to look down at her, and saw her eyes gleaming with tears. A lump came to his throat but he knew he had to continue.  
"I made a promise to myself when my brother left: never grow attached to anybody again. I know it won't last. It can't last, not in my world."  
She disentangled from his embrace and sat in front of him, wiping the tears away. "You can't run all your life, sunbae. I won't allow you to become what your father is now."  
She had that steel look in her eyes again, but it just made him feel more frustrated.  
"Do you think I want to? Do you think I could ever wish for such a life? I despise him for what he's become!"  
"Then just don't. Allow me to help you. Allow me by your side, to fight together day by day."  
"The end will come sooner than you expect. And we will both be destroyed in the process." he averted his gaze, fighting the tears away.  
"You can't know that, nobody can. And I won't loose you on the base of what could happen in the future, when we have a present to live."  
A thick moment of silence followed her words, while the rain was still pouring outside. Please trust me, she was chanting in her mind, please believe in us, don't give in now.  
"I guess you're a strong believer of that saying that goes like: it's better to love and loose, then to have never loved." he finally sighed, slipping again in the bed. "I should just find that key and go away now. This will prove to be a big mistake, Ga Eul yang."  
She suppressed a huge sigh of relief and stopped to look at him, tracing his every feature with her eyes. Then Ga Eul slipped back in the bed beside him, forcing his head on her shoulder and embracing him tightly. She couldn't believe in her own boldness, but she knew being shy as she always had been wouldn't have worked with Yi Jeong. She had to be strong for him and she intended to.  
"That key is well hidden and I won't return it to you." she told him, her voice sweet and tender. "I won't return you either, So Yi Jeong. You lost the chance to say you don't love me back then, and I offer no second chances."  
She kissed his forehead and lightly brushed his hair, while he reluctantly encircled her with his arm, relaxing in her embrace.  
"Chu Ga Eul, you really are a witch." he murmured, closing his eyes.  
"Just trust me then. Trust my powers." she replied, tightening her grasp on him.

And as Yi Jeong was drifting into sleep, he thought that he had never felt more safe and at peace than now, in that small bed and in the arms of his country bumpkin.  
A small tear escaped his eyes and he knew he had lost that ferocious war. Now that he was with her, he didn't want to let her go. He couldn't.  
His worst fears had finally become reality... he had fallen in love again.


End file.
